This, in some people's opinion, is the very first music video ever made. Nesmith pioneered what was to become MTV and basically sold the concept for it. Always ahead of his time. RIP Papa Nez. Check out our 15+ year old channel for many Michael Nesmith and Monkees covers!
I remember Michael was the King of the "LaserDisc" format. And please correct me if i'm wrong; But one of the Videos was a Spoof of His Own 'Monkee' tune. "Suzanne"... It was a Tribute to the Monsters of the TOHO Studios of Japan, such as Godzilla. It went something like this, "Her Name was Rodan ... " LOL
@@RoaroftheTiger The song is named "Joanne" and it was not a hit that Nez had while with the Monkees, but later with his First National Band. But otherwise, you remember it correctly!
@@eviekelpie1I was surprised to learn that also when I heard that fact on the Rondstadt documentary, but as I listen to it now, I can definitely hear his “voice” in the lyrics.
Thanks so much for this, Jamel. Nesmith was hugely talented as a songwriter and singer. This death really hit me because he just ended his tour with fellow Monkee, Micky Dolenz, last month. It's like I'm losing a big part of my childhood.
childhood and his death feels very much like the death of a family member. My wife has been a fan for 34 years, so it really feels like something from that long ago is now gone.
Growing up watching the Monkee's as a young teen was the highlight of my week.. You are so right it was like losing a part of our childhood.. Mike was always my favorite.. P.S. My 34 year old really likes them..
He was very talented. Ya know, back in the 70's everyone thought John Denver was nearly but it hit me hard when he died. We lost a very huge talent then too.
1. You just may be the one 2. Papa gene's blues 3. Sweet Young Thing 4.Joanne 5. What am I doing hanging round Mr Nesmith also wrote alot of hits for others, including "beat of a different drum"... You'll be much missed Michael, the father of MTV (where I discovered the Monkees as a kid) much love to my favorite Monkee💕✌️
Nesmith began his solo career in the early 70's. He played mostly country rock before it became popular. He toured off and on with the Monkees over the years but continued to release solo albums. It was difficult to classify his music in any one genre as the song "Rio" shows. He was country, rock, folk, pop, standards all rolled into one which unfortunately maybe why he never sold a lot of records. His catalog is varied and wonderful and should be explored!
"Eldorado to the Moon" is a sweet video and song. Mike Nesmith (pronounced NEZ-mith) was a pioneer in music videos and started his own video production company.
The Monkees was the first rock band I ever loved after discovering the TV show reruns as a kid. Some of his songs with the Monkees worth checking out are "Sweet Young Thing ", "Papa Gene's Blues", and "You Just May Be The One ". I regret to say I never really looked into their solo stuff. Definitely will have to do that now!!
Michael's mother hit a very, very big payday: Bette Nesmith Graham (March 23, 1924 - May 12, 1980) was an American typist, commercial artist, and the inventor of the correction fluid Liquid Paper. She was the mother of musician and producer Michael Nesmith of The Monkees.
This song was on a Laser Disk back in the 80’s that he made. It’s called Elephant Parts. Lots of little comedy bits like this. I had such a crush on the lady in the red dress back in the day. Nearly our player from playing this video album over and over. He will be missed.
Also check out the song he wrote that others made hits from: Different Drum; Some of Shelley’s Blues; Joanne; Propinquity; Silver Moon - most he performed with his group First Nation Band. He was a solo artist for decades. His history and influences are deep.
Calico Girlfiend off "Magnetic South" is a dandy as well. Another gem was a show that Mike and pedal steel player Red Rhodes played in 1974 at the Roundhouse in London. Look up Michael Nesmith Amazing ZigZag Concert (ZigZag was a British music magazine). It's about 50 minutes long
Mike was always the most talented musician but he was also the most creative mind in the group. He made a business outside of the Monkees that was highly successful. His songs on the Monkees albums were always written by him and had that Texas twang to them. RIP Nez you will be missed.
The Monkees were short lived from 1966-1970, with Nez departing in 1969 to pursue a solo career. His mother invented Liquid Paper and sold the company to Gillette for $48 million dollars and died shortly after. Mike used his inheritance to form Pacific Arts which went on to produce such films as Repo Man. He won the first Grammy for Elephant Parts, an hour long music video that Rio was a part of. He also came up with the idea for MTV but was too busy with other projects and let its creation and development go to someone else. Nez was ahead of his time. Definitely a trailblazer in the music industry. I gotta say that news of his death has really been rough for me. Been a fan since I was a,young girl.
Hey Jamel .. If you want to hear one of the best ballads ever, check out "Joanne' .. It is absolutely beautiful, and my favourite song from Mike's solo career .. As others have mentioned, he also wrote the classic "Different Drum", a masterpiece, and the song that launched the wonderful Linda Ronstadt into stardom .. Her version ( with The Stone Ponies ) is a must-listen for sure .. Cheers, Wayne
i was at the final show of mike and micky's farewell tour. losing him just 26 days later is unbelievable. i've been a monkees fan since i was 5 when the tv show debuted in 1966. so this really feels like losing a member of my family, just as it did when we lost davy and peter, but having it come so soon after seeing him on stage is something i couldn't have imagined. knowing now that this 78 year old man was singing his heart out for the last time makes me feel honored to have been there to say for all of us, "thank you and we love you papa nez". somewhere on you tube is a video from that show with michael looking out into the audience with the biggest smile on his face. he was visibly touched at the sight of so many people showering him with love. i'll never forget that evening. rest in peace.
I've seen recordings of that final show and it was great to see, but Mike didn't look good at all. But, as they say, "The show must go on." And it did. To the very end.
@@chicochi3 well, i heard he was using oxygen backstage at times,but he made it through the tour like a trooper. he also used a cane occasionally, but not on the final show. he could have easily called it off early ,but he didn't want to disappoint the fans. you gotta respect that.
I just saw a video on their website for the song called “The Door Into Summer”. It’s from their tour last year. Mike & Mickey sound great. One of my faves. ¡Vicente! 😭 Requesting “Volver, Volver”!
From the moment a couple of TV producers said, "Call back that kid in the hat.", Nesmith's career took off. Acting, singing, playing, writing, directing, and producing. That kid in the hat turned out to be a brilliant human being. You should check out the whole movie that this came from. "Elephant Parts". Crazy early 80s stuff. It launched a genre of silly (but good) movies, like "Kentucky Fried Movie", "Loose Shoes", "Tunnel Vision", "UHF", etc. There's another great song on "Elephant Parts" called "Cruisin'/Lucy and Ramona and Sunset Sam". ✌🤘😉
Interesting...thank you Brother Jamel for the relation of Brother Nez flying through the sky...he certainly is. RIP Michael Nesmith, I shall miss you until my dying day.
He also had a solo hit with Joanne. He wrote Different Drum which helped launch Linda Rondstadt’s career. He did wtire some of the Monkees songs. He is the one that faught for creative control for the Monkees. They were not permitted to play on their first two albums. Btw the wrecking crew played on a good percentage of artists recordings back then. The record companies and producers wanted it that way. Mike and Peter were already accomplished musicians. Davy was a singer and could play drums and guitar a little . Micky knew Spanish guitar but had to learn to play drums- and he did. The rest is history. Many of their albums have gone platinum several times. They deff established themselves as a band. All four were singers. Micky has one of the greatest voices in rock/pop !
So glad you're looking at this song. Mike's passing hit me hard. I've been singing "Listen to the Band" off and on ever since I heard. I had the privilege of seeing him in concert in 2013. If you get a chance, you should watch the whole of his special called "Elephant Parts." It hast great music and laughs ("Cruisin'" is a really good one). The Monkees originally together, roughly from 1966 1970 when it was just Micky and Davey; Mike and Peter had left at different times in 1969. 4 years, 9 albums! 4 albums since then and 3 albums worth of music that wasn't officilly released during the original run. Several of those "missing links" Mike carried into his solo career. Mike was making music before, with, and after the original Monkees run. The last album all 4 reunited for was 1996 "Just Us." There is a great Davy Jones penned song on there called "You and I" that you should check out. So many good songs. And I'll suggest "Goin' Down" again, because it is a truly amazing song that I think you'd really enjoy, and it is one of the few Monkees songs written by the Monkees.
Wool Hat! RIP Michael Nesmith. Great musician and song writer. You will be missed Mike😢Thank you Mike for reuniting with the Monkees at the Greek Theater for your 50th Monkees Anniversary. You all played and entertained us and didn't skip a beat. We were transported back to the 60s. God bless you Mike!
I am so glad you cover one of my all time favorite bands, The Monkees. And I'm delighted that you are covering one of his Solo songs ❤️❤️❤️❤️ He truly was one of a kind. Thank you
Thank you so much for listening to Nez and bringing him to everyone here who had never heard his music before. I’m so heartbroken about his passing. I’ve loved him for so long, and can’t imagine a world without his cosmic, infinite light. Any tunes you check out from him will be awesome. “You’re doing just fine, so keep on keepin’ on.” ❤️💔❤️💔❤️
This was just one of many videos on a movie Michael Nesmith created by the name of "Michael Nesmith in Elephant Parts." Brilliant, Funny and ahead of it's time. RIP Brother!!
Michael was a solo artist before the Monkees (recorded some singles), and after, from 1970 until he died in 2019. He joined the Monkees in reunions from time to time. Michael won the first-ever Grammy Award for a music video, for his long-form Elephant Parts, which included this video for Rio. His concept show Popclips, with veejays presenting music videos, was sold to Time Warner and became MTV; Time Warner asked Michael to run the new MTV video channel, but he declined as he was busy with his own projects and companies. He wrote books and produced movies, too. Do check out Michael Nesmith's vast and diverse catalogue of great albums/recordings. I love his music, especially his lyrics! We miss you here in the 3D dimension, Michael - fly high!
RIP Michael Nesmith. Thanks to you,I got to enjoy MTV back in the days of the 80's when it was GOOD. And I was 1 of many who used to watch The Monkees when I was a kid.😁👍🏻
Hey Kevin, if you haven't seen the live version from The Britt Festival, it's my favorite version of Joanne: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9ZiHjmE-5BI.html
I was so in love with Mike Nesmith when I was a pre-teen and now my age is weighing on me so much...This being the xmas season, why not watch Weird Al's "Christmas at Ground Zero". A real kick in the teeth for this jolly holiday.
I had the honor of meeting him about 10 years ago at a meet-and-greet after one of his solo concerts. He couldn’t have been more gracious. He was truly a pioneer in country rock and music video-check out more of his solo catalog other than the Monkees I think you’ll appreciate his wit and intelligence!
It was the 80's Jamal.. Music videos were new.. Thank you for playing this song and thank you for sympathy.. I was one of the young teens swooning at the Monkees..
so for those here not in the know, the reason rio ends kinda weirdly with like a rocket ship sound effect that gets cut off is on the original album the song came out on, from a radio engine to the photon wing, rio was the first track and this was meant to bleed into the beginning of the second one, casablanca moonlight.
Michael Nesmith left the Monkees in 1969/1970. He started his own country rock pioneering group Michael Nesmith and the First National Band and made 3 albums. His mother invented white out and when she passed away Mike gained all her inheritance and founded the production company Pacific Arts. He started writing more pop oriented songs and pioneered the first music videos ever created, including the music film Elephant Parts which one the first (and I believe only) Grammy for Best Music Film. He was also an executive producer of Repo Man. Mike rejoined the Monkees in 2012 after Davy Jones died and remained with the group for most of the last decade until his death.
I love your reaction videos, Jamel, and I wanted to thank you so much for this one. I've been a fan of Michael Nesmith's since I was a kid, and to see his music being experienced for the first time made me smile.
Thank you for paying tribute to this musical legend. I grew up watching The Monkees on TV, back in the early 70s.....what a sad loss....may he be resting in Rio, and in paradise. Keep up the good work, Jamal....God bless you, brother!
I was a casual Monkees fan. Saw their reunion concert in the 80’s. Nez wasn’t part of that tour but being curious and kinda grew out of the monkees pop stuff. Started to listen to Nez . He became my favorite. He to my knowledge was the only monkee that had put out his own music before the show even started. Huge influence for many of the country rock that followed in the 70’s. Terrific singer and guitarist and funny funny man. If you can get it watch Elephant Parts. He won the first Grammy for music video. Worth watching. Rip Nez.
The Monkees were (at first) a totally manufactured group to capitalize on the fame of the Beatles. They were jokingly referred to as the "Pre-Fab Four", (a play on the Fab Four title the Beatles had), But Michael and Peter were truly good musicians and fought hard to gain control of their music. They ended up making and playing their own music and did so well. Michael was a true pioneer of the music industry and his video album Elephant Parts was genius. He can be credited as inventing music television. He had a short lived tv show based on the format of Elephant Parts called Television Parts. It was comedy and music intertwined. He really was a creative genius.
The Monkees were created for a television sit com and then promoted like an actual band. Mike was an accomplished musician and songwriter and he pushed hard for the band to be given more musical freedom. Pretty soon they were recording their own music and touring live. The TV show lasted only a couple of years. They also made a movie called Head which is a trippy classic. The band hung on for a while after the show ended, but by 1970 they had pretty much dissolved. Mike went on to have a do career and to work as a producer. He is considered the father of MTV as it was in the mid to late 70s that he first floated the idea of a TV station that would function like a radio station, playing music with artistic videos and hosted by video DJs. Different Drum, recorded by the Stone Poneys, is one of his early writing credits and I recommend you take a listen. I grew up watching the Monkees in syndication (I'm not THAT old) and it hurts to know that only one of them is still alive now. They were funny and talented and made some really great music.
Bless Papa Nez... He was such a talent. Started out with the song Different Drum. Sold it to the Stone Ponies, as selling songs to other bands was a big thing at the time. Then Was a Monkee for 4 years or so and became a solo artist since 71. and then made anotheer Monkee album (Justus). Oh and his poetry in writing. He was also a big fan of 1930s musicHe later went on to do some PBS docs and went to England and started a music video station and then basically came up with MTV. He put out a genre that hadn't been done by the popular music. but came out with Country Rock. Many bands that we love now were a part of that genre. Bob Dylan is one of the many. He wrote a couple of books and was just a great entertainer that didn't know how much his fandom appreciated him until like the last 2 years of his life. It's worth just looking at his solo stuff as well as Monkee songs. Plus he and the other Monkees made a movie called head with none other than the star Jack Nicholson. IN short. he is an artist to dive into. Love your channel. Peace to all!
My favorite Michael Nesmith fronted Monkee's tune is "What Am I Doing Hangin' Round?". He's the one I had a crush on as a young girl. Thanks for listening - he was a true innovator, like his mom.
Mike Nesmith's mother created liquid paper, he created the first true music video, "Animal Parts". He was a real innovator as well as a great musician. Mike recorded 15 solo albums. The Monkees were originally together as a quartet from 1966 through I believe 'late '68 or '69, Peter Tork left, they continued as a trio, Mike left in late '69 or 70, Mickey and Davey did a final album. They later did several "reunion " tours and a few records. Off and on they were together nearly 55 years.
Mom's favorite group was The Monkees when she was a teenager, and she had all of their albums. So, the first group I ever knew was The Monkees. While my favorite group is The Beatles, The Monkees have such a special place in my heart. The first cassette tape I ever got was a Christmas present along with my pink boom box was The Monkees greatest hits. And Mike was my personal favorite. Now, I think their show is stupid (sorry. Didn't watch it until I was an adult), but their music is so good, and really thanks to Mike and Peter who were both the musicians of the group. My heart broke when I heard about his death on Friday.
Michael Nesmith was a country-rock pioneer with The First Ametican Band who had a notable hit with "Joanne". Before that The Monkees had a hint of country in the Nesmith penned "Listen to the Band" R.I.P.
The Monkees were together in various forms from 1966-1970, but by 1970, it was just Davy and Micky. Peter left in 1968 and Mike left in 1969. The show ended in 1968. They officially reunited in 1986 and aside from a few breaks, never really stopped from there. Mike did the bulk of his solo stuff in the 70's. This song is from 1976. .
Michael made the first video and won the first video music award. His show, Elephant parts introduced us to the likes of Jay Leno, Jimmy Buffett and Whoopie Goldburg. Elderado to the moon and Joanne are my favorite songs but he really was underated.
Please react to these Mike Nesmith songs: Joanne, Nine Times Blue, Silver Moon, Some of Shelly’s Blues, Propinquity (I’ve Just Begun To Care), Different Drum, Grand Ennui, Mana Nantucket, Calico Girlfriend, Cruisin, and Beyond The Blue Horizon Also react to these Nez written/sung Monkees songs: Papa Gene’s Blues, You Just May Be The One, Me & Magdalena, Sunny Girlfriend, You Told Me, What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round, Tapioca Tundra, The Door Into Summer, Circle Sky, Sweet Young Thing, The Kind of Girl I Could Love, Listen To The Band, Love Is Only Sleeping, Daily Nightly, and While I Cry.
Yes, Mike Nesmith was a very funny and musical guy. Monkees were a Tv show that morphed into a real band. they were on TV 1966-68 but the band lasted until 1970. He did one of the first "Country Rock Bands afterward then delved into Tv production and things. Monkees had occasional reunions. He pioneered music videos, [videos specifically made for the song] and it blossomed into MTV which is now VH1 basically.
I think it was Nesmith's first solo release promotion event that he said was hardly getting any publicity that his friend Jimi Hendrix came to, because he liked his music and he was a kind and generous person. The Monkees had Jimi Hendrix open for them, in America, but since the audience mainly consisted of underage girls yelling for Davy, and their parents, and none of them understanding the music or act of Jimi Hendrix at all, he didn't tour with them for long. There are some great photos of him playing back stage for The Monkees.
This is from "Elephant Parts"...Mike's 1981 video music/comedy sketches/parodies film. That would be a fun one to watch...very cutting edge for the time and a forerunner to what would become MTV! Mike was great on the Monkees! The Monkees only lasted 2 seasons on TV (1966-1968) had a great movie (Head) and many specials. I believe he left in the early 70's and did his own music (and also before the Monkees too). I feel he was also a pioneer in country rock and wrote the song "Different Drum" recorded by the Stone Ponys (Linda Ronstadt on lead vocals). Very talented and creative man...miss you Papa Nez!!!
I cried Friday. I fell in love with Mike when I was 10 years old. (It's pronounced "Nez myth" BTW). His post Monkees work is quite wonderful. He had a band called the First National Band and wrote/performed a kind of California country rock. It was moderately successful; really great stuff. Only a few years later the Eagles went to the stratosphere with the same kind of sound. Of Monkee's songs he sang lead on, my favorite is "What Am I Doing Hangin Round." Here is a link. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nS_M3Xj4NHM.html Mike and Micky did a farewell tour this year. There is a video of Mike doing this song in October - just two months ago. It's good, but he looks pretty frail. Little more sad than I can handle right now. Love him forever. Thank you for remembering him.