Are some on here deluded by thinking/stating that the Beatles were a rip off of the Monkees ? ... Read this from wiki .. (Micky) Dolenz described The Monkees as initially being "a TV show about an imaginary band... that wanted to be the Beatles that was never successful". UNQUOTE ..
A manufactured band wearing Beatle-like hair cuts and clothing, the group even included a cute little northerner to add an 'authentic' north of England twang to the band's spiel The Monkees were a pleasant little jingle band who enjoyed great success and popularity in the late 1960s/early 70s .. however, to compare their talent, lasting legacy and musical ability to the Beatles is ridiculous. The Beatles initial great talent and popularity was honed and polished by Brian Epstein and George Martin, so to some extent, like all great bands, the Beatles were 'manufactured. But, they existed as a live and vibrant group before being 'discovered' by commercially minded music impresarios and 'put on the mass market'. The Monkees were 'manufactured' simply to exploit the Beatles already great talent and popularity. For a while this commercial exploitation was extremely successful
as I argue with my brothers music is subjective and whilst I'd say that The Beatles are the most over rated band ever I doubt they'd agree with me that Eminen is a genius. Each to their own.
Master musicians all, especially Davy Jones who could bang a mean tamborine whilst wiggling his arse. Mind you without him we would have had no David Bowie.
I got the reference @Halix even if few others did!
By late '66/ early '67 the Beatles have moved way beyond such as She Loves You and A Hard Days Night and were taking popular music into uncharted territory and their audience with them. Meanwhile the emerging teenyboppers needed something a bit less demanding than Tomorrow Never Knows or I am the Walrus. Shrewd move by the TV people in the States, using A Hard Days Night as their template and engaging some of the best songwriters of the day. Manufactured then? Well yes to an extent, but it would never have worked without talent and a bunch of cracking songs. And for the musical snobs who pour scorn, I for one would much rather listen to the 3 minutes of psychedelic pop confection that is Alternate Title than for example, the colourless boredom of listening to Jimmy Page fannying around with a violin bow on his guitar for 20 minutes. (And I consider myself Zep fan) (Not authentic, obviously :-))
Daydream Believer - used to tell my school mates that Davy was singing it "cheer up sleepy Jean" just for me. Cuddly Toy It's not too late - written by Davy for their anniversary album Shades of Grey Pleasant Valley Sunday
They were utter crap of the first order.
Manufactured garbage who no one at the time or since took seriously.....put them up there with The Wombles and Tiny Tim!
Ok then, you tell me when the likes of Robert Wyatt, REM, U2, Carter, Coldplay, Smash Mouth, Minor Threat, Weezer, The Wedding Present, Floyd Cramer, George Benson and The Sex Pistols start doing Wombles covers. Nobody takes The Monkees seriously - pah!
Really ? Never knew, which track did the Wedding Present cover ?
All this pretentious music snobbery makes my blood boil. Music is meant to be entertaining and The Monkeys certainly achieved that distinction. Yes, they were manufactured for a TV programme on the back of The Beatles success but they went on to produce some of the most memorable "pop" songs of their era, songs that make people smile and songs that people still sing happily along to. Surely that is what music is all about. The best part of the Shrek movie is when all the characters dance along to "I'm a believer" at the end and that's how it is in my local when the song is played, everyone is dancing and singing. So what's wrong with that?
All this pretentious music snobbery makes my blood boil. Music is meant to be entertaining and The Monkeys certainly achieved that distinction. Yes, they were manufactured for a TV programme on the back of The Beatles success but they went on to produce some of the most memorable "pop" songs of their era, songs that make people smile and songs that people still sing happily along to. Surely that is what music is all about. The best part of the Shrek movie is when all the characters dance along to "I'm a believer" at the end and that's how it is in my local when the song is played, everyone is dancing and singing. So what's wrong with that?
I was thinking just this as I read through the Monkees/Peter Tork RIP threads on here. So many people have recalled fondly how much they enjoyed the Monkees TV show growing up. They're a big part of a lot of people's childhoods and 50 years later, here we are, still talking about them and their music and how much we've enjoyed it. If music isn't about enjoyment, regardless of it's 'manufacture', what is the point?
I read yesterday (in P Tork's obituary) that Stephen Stills failed an audition to be a Monkee .. their loss was Buffalo Springfield's and CSN's gain
Stills and Tork were mates I believe and I think both Texan. Micky Dolenz was also part of the coterie of talent that based themselves in Laurel Canyon around 67/68, CSN,Joni, Zappa, Van Dyke Parks etc
They were utter crap of the first order.
Manufactured garbage who no one at the time or since took seriously.....put them up there with The Wombles and Tiny Tim!
Ok then, you tell me when the likes of Robert Wyatt, REM, U2, Carter, Coldplay, Smash Mouth, Minor Threat, Weezer, The Wedding Present, Floyd Cramer, George Benson and The Sex Pistols start doing Wombles covers. Nobody takes The Monkees seriously - pah!
Really ? Never knew, which track did the Wedding Present cover ?
Comments
Meanwhile the emerging teenyboppers needed something a bit less demanding than Tomorrow Never Knows or I am the Walrus.
Shrewd move by the TV people in the States, using A Hard Days Night as their template and engaging some of the best songwriters of the day.
Manufactured then? Well yes to an extent, but it would never have worked without talent and a bunch of cracking songs.
And for the musical snobs who pour scorn, I for one would much rather listen to the 3 minutes of psychedelic pop confection that is Alternate Title than for example, the colourless boredom of listening to Jimmy Page fannying around with a violin bow on his guitar for 20 minutes.
(And I consider myself Zep fan)
(Not authentic, obviously :-))
2. Alternate Title
3. Pleasant Valley Sunday
4. I'm a Believer
5. Listen to the Band.
Honourable runner-up ( a real curve ball) - Tapioca Tundra (give it a listen)
Cuddly Toy
It's not too late - written by Davy for their anniversary album
Shades of Grey
Pleasant Valley Sunday
Micky Dolenz was also part of the coterie of talent that based themselves in Laurel Canyon around 67/68,
CSN,Joni, Zappa, Van Dyke Parks etc
made a decent fist of it too