@@poppad331 kind of like when an certain old time actor had to change his name (to Stewart Granger) because his real name was Jimmy Stewart, and there was already a long-established and world-famous Jimmy Stewart by that time.
RIP Arlene Martel, famous role as T'Pring as a Vulcan bride to Spock, on Star Trek orig series, and as Tiger, an underground fighter on Hogan's Heroes.
The Monkees need to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They had multiple million selling records back to back in the 60's and a top rated TV show at the same time. They also practically invented the music video 15 years before MTV.
Those are extremely good songs. While they are lighter I wouldn't call them bubble gum. Actually most of them have a pretty serious message. Last Train to Clarksville I think was about separation due to Vietnam, Pleasant Valley SUnday may have a light sound but the underlying lyrics are kind of dark. I'm a Believer well, it is a love song but a whopping good one.
Your taking me back to my grade school days. Rushing home from school, changing out of your uniform and getting the best spot in front of the tv to watch The Monkees.
Diane, as for being nicer in the 60’s and 70’s it really depends on where you grew up, how much money you’re family had, and whether you got drafted or not. Believe me, not everyone has great memories of that time even if the music was better. Of course I may be a bit older than you from the sounds of it. Just hard to make generalizations about that time frame for me. Some good and some not so good.
In my early teens I LOVED the Monkees. I remember Mickey Dolenz in his show Circus Boy, such a handsome blonde little boy, lol. They had charisma and the songs spoke to me
I saw Mike and Micky perform a week after Peter Passed away. That felt profound. But how amazing these guys have performed and recorded together for fifty+ years. Good, classic tunes.
"I'm a Believer" is such a super song - had no idea that it weas the top record seller in '67 ! Terrific ! Glad that you got to watch the Monkees, young and old !
I bought their album good times and loved it!! I was three when the show aired in 1966 .I watch it on antenna tv now.i loved your reaction"they're old"!!!.
1967!!! Graduated from high school that year, so these songs bring back many good memories. I have to thank you for reacting to songs from this era. Music has always been "my thing" and still is!!! Thanks again!!!
Saturday Morning Cartoons and the Monkees Show. In 1965 Hollywood producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider placed an add in the paper to hire 4 young actors to play the part in a television series of 4 young rockers similar to the beatles. With little musical experience the Monkees did not play the instruments on their 1st album. With training the Monkees did begin to play their own music. While being under contract the Monkees were held within strict guidelines and censorship. During practice sessions their creative choices were in a different directions than the producers. During recording sessions stepping stone was done as resentment to the producers, the music editor secretly added it to the next album going into production. LoL sorry the record has already been cut. In 1967 the Monkees out sold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined.
Did you know Niel Diamond actually wrote "I'm a Believer" before he was famous? And Carol King wrote "Pleasant Valley Sunday." You should google King. You would be surprised by all the famous songs she wrote for other artists. Including "You make me feel like a natural woman" by Aretha Franklin among many others. I was like 7 when the tv show was on. I thought it was so cool I was listening to Rock and Roll on the tv and all my little kiddy friends would talk about the show at school. Then my much older brother(18 years older) burst my bubble and told me they didn't play any of their instruments and wrote hardly any of their songs and I was crushed. LOL. I never realized that they were just four young actors hired to play roles for a tv show. Except for Davy Jones, the little guy singer who was actually a British singer. "For most of the first season's songs, the members only sang, and did not play on the records. ... Kirshner also okayed Nesmith to produce two of his own songs, for each Monkees album. Nesmith could choose musicians and sing, but could not play on the records himself." Funny how all these years later none of that matters.
They did all later learn to play. I think the drummer actually played guitar but they insisted he looked loke a drummer so they put him on the drums. I don't know if that's all true but I heard it someplace.
I met Davy ( the short one with the Moroccos) and also Peter ( the one to the far right) at separate concerts. This band was one of my first loves -- used to watch their TV show as well. Grew up loving them. One of many songs that they did that was fantastic -- glad to see you react to them !!
I used to watch the Monkees before school every day during the week in 1976. And yes they used to show great cartoons before AND after school everyday. Saturday was a bonus and on Sunday everybody went to church.
I love the monkees! I have loved Peter since I was around age 4. 😂 he's the blonde one. The world lost a very talented Man in February. 😢 he was adorable in his 40s. R. I. P. Peter and Davy!! 😢
The Monkees started off as a TV show in the 1960s. I used to watch re-runs of this show in the 1980s as a teenager and became a fan and even went to a concert they played at my hometown back in the summer of 1987. They have done reunion tours for decades and the second video was performed back in 2015. Unfornately, Davy Jones one of the members have passed away by that time. Mike Nesmith another member hardly didn't reunion tours with them only a few. Sadly Peter Tork has since passed away back in February of this year. Mike and Micky Dolenz, the lead singer in both videos are the only ones still living. Thanks for the videos still love this group.
@@abc456f I thought I'd heard something along the lines of that being the case when they first started, but they learned to play and actually performed later on? Is that wrong? Regardless, Mickey has a great voice.
@@dipsydoodle7988 Yes. They got a little full of themselves and went out on their own and flopped. I agree that Mickey is a very good singer. Davey could sing well too.
@@abc456f Mike and Peter were both professional musicians, while Davy and Mickey were both former child actors with musical theater background. And they actually played on Headquarters, which was their best album.
They started out not playing because they weren’t allowed to, but started pushing the point, so a couple albums later they began to play more and more, and even wrote some of their own stuff. They were shit on back in the day when people revealed they weren’t playing at the start. But I always thought that was unfair seeing as they were talented and made some great music.
mr. jinks Don Kirshner who was the music supervisor for the series was the one didn’t want them to play on their albums. It had nothing to do with their talent and all to do with Kirshner trying to control everything. Micky had a band and played guitar, Mike played guitar, recorded an album, and wrote hit songs for other singers, Peter played 10 different instruments, and Davy had recorded an album and played guitar - all of this before they were chosen to play on the series. And they played live concerts with just them playing and singing from the beginning of the TV show.
Fun fact....Mickey Dolenz discovered Jimi Hendrix and he opened for them in concert, but the little girls just wanted The Monkees...they went their separate ways.
Both guitar players were musicians before they joined the Monkees. The drummer and the guy on tambourine were childhood actors - screen and stage respectively. in the early to mid 80s they made sort of a comeback - three of the guys minus Mike Nesmith because Nickelodeon started airing reruns of their 60s tv.
When I was a young girl (I was 5 or 6), I loved the Monkees so much! I'm showing my age here but, I had a close 'n play record player and 3 or 4 Monkees records and wore those suckers out because I played them over and over. I played them so much, they had permanent grooves in them. I drove my brothers crazy...lol. Still love them. RIP Davy and Peter.
So many happy memories from the late 60s in Germany. Sitting in my grandma's living room with my family when I was 9, 10 years old on every Saturday afternoon to watch the Monkees. I just loved the show for being crazy and the music.
@@kevinlay9902 Not really. The song was written by two guys, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart for The Monkees. They wrote several songs for The Monkees. In an interview, Bobby Hart debunked the rumor saying that the song was based on a town in Arizona called Clarkdale near Oak Creek. But, they changed it to Clarksville because it sounded better in a song. Some people thought it was anti-war because of a town called Clarksville near Fort Campbell, KY. and about a soldier being deployed who might not return. It's all told in Wikipedia.
It was a firm favourite in the UK though there was always the feeling that they were a manufactured band riding off the back of Beatlemania. I think the songs hold up really well in their own right and I enjoyed the series too. The film Head I wasn't quite so keen on.
I grew up watching the Monkees tv show. They were a manufactured band but were actually pretty talented musicians. Unfortunately, Davey Jones and Peter Tork have passed away but they were a hugely popular and big part of my childhood.
The Monkees were America's (manufactured) answer to The Beatles. 2 of them were real musicians (Mike and Peter) and the others were more known for acting but had musical experience (Micky and Davy). They all auditioned to be on the TV show then supplied vocals for the songs. After a while they played their own instruments too and even wrote their own songs. They sold millions of records and deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but have been snubbed so far.
Use to get up Saturday morning to watch "The Monkees"!! Could not get enough of them! Had the albums and lunch box!! Loved My Monkees Thermos! Thanks for the Reaction!! Put your Kitsune UP!! Po!
@@helmedon Hey, One D are very talented actually. You probably just heard them early on when they were being pushed to be a teen girl band. Their later stuff is really quite good. They are really good singers and they started writing their own stuff, moved to a more rock vibe. Story of My Life is really excellent.
India--here is why I love you--you are reacting to songs that to many of us are part of our essence. "I'm a Believer"--this was a song by The Monkees. Shrek who? But you show appreciation and respect for the old school, which, if you ask me, just says a lot positive about your sensibilities.
I heard Mike Nesmith on a radio talk show in the 80/90's where he said Jimi Hendrix opened for the Monkees for about a month. This was before he was famous. Nesmith talked about how quiet and polite Hendrix was. He talked about the Monkees demographic being mostly teen aged girls and how shell shocked they were after Hendrix. It wasn't a good fit and they got a new opening act. He said after that Hendrix went on to bigger and better things.
Used to watch Monkees reruns every day after school in the 70s. We were latch key kids, so our parents didn't get a chance to police our viewing habits. We loved them!
Love watching your reaction! Can't believe you never heard these. I grew up watching these guys every morning. It's a pleasure to see you obviously love this "new sound".
I used to watch reruns of The Monkees on Saturday mornings. I took my nephew (he was 10) to the 20 year reunion tour in 1986. It was only Mickey, Davey and Peter, as Michael Nesmith wasn't interested. Probably the most fun I've ever had at a concert! The Rascals, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, The Animals & Herman's Hermits... fun flash back festival.
I LOVED your reaction to my favorite band/TV show. Their musical is magical and timeless. I became a fan in the 80s when they were already "old" and I was only ten. Dig into their catalog, it gets even better! And the show is so fun to watch, especially with littles.
First comment. Yays, I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone. My favorite. Stepping stone means to use someone to gain status. Like people at work who will pretend to be your friend if they can get a promotion before you by walking over you.
If I'm correct JIMI HENDRIX opened up for the monkee's on july 17th 1967 in Jacksonville ,Florida was viewed as one of the oddest pairing up of musical artists together
Hi India ---- The Monkees were a made for tv band who actually had real talent in their own right ---- Peter Tork was my favorite but sadly both he and Davey Jones have passed on --- They had a lot of hits ---- Last Train to Clarksville --- Pleasant Valley Sunday --- Daydream Believer ---- thanks for the reactions to our first loves
@@timoteo950 Was not saying mean was try to help her meant no ill will towards her . I would not be listening to her if I did . I know they were before she was born so just trying to be helpful
The Monkees music was actually recorded by The Wrecking Crew, a loose group of the best West Coast studio musicians. The Wrecking Crew contributed to hundreds of hits between the early 60's through the 70's.
The Monkees weren't an established band. They were put together for the TV show. But they did sound good together and were very popular Micky Dolenz, the lead singer in those two songs, began his career as the star of Circus Boy, a '50s TV show about a young boy growing up in a circus.
Growing up, we watched The Monkees every Saturday morning. The best way I can explain is, it was like a live action cartoon. Silly, campy fun with a new killer song performed by them in every episode. BTW, we also watched the Beatles cartoons on tv. Pretty awesome time to be a kid.
I was born in 69, but I fell in love with them in the 80's and saw them in concert. Great band, good guys. It was sad that Mike Nesmith didn't want a think to do with the band :(.
If you want to understand the Monkees, know they were highly talented entertainers who captured the fun aspects of the early Beatles with their tv show. They had tremendous support behind them--musically a lot of their music was performed by the super talented "Wrecking Crew" top notch studio musicians at that time, songs were written by the best writers of that era--Neil Diamond, Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, Carole King among many others, they had the best producers and had music mogul Don Kirshner behind them as well as the network brass as studio brass. This was a massive push to make this band happen but regardless they still had to have the talent to make it all happen. I saw the Monkees 3 ot 4 times in the 80's and 90's and even at that later date in their success they had a genuine goodness about them as people and as entertainers. I recall one fan yelling out, "love you" and Peter Tork responding, "Where are you? Doesn't matter. Love you too." Go Monkees!
The first rock music I listened to, thanks to my sister's 45 record player and a few of the Monkee's 45's. I'm A Believer was the Number one song in America when I was born.
2 were real musicians (accomplished) Mike Nesmith (guitar player in the green tuque) who has written a couple of Nashville standards (like "Silver Moon"). The other is Peter Tork (bass player here) who was best friends with Stephen Stills and with him used to jam with Hendrix. ALSO: The Sex Pistols covered "Steppin' Stone"
Mike Nesmith (the one in the hat) is one of my favorite song writers. He wrote some great songs and also has a great voice. Check out Mary, Mary or The Girl I Knew Somewhere.
