Put together by television producers in the mid-1960s in an attempt to re-create the zany madcap style of A Hard Day's Night, The Monkees became a phenomenon and, for a time, even outsold the "Fab Four."
Such classic hits as: I'm a Believer, Daydream Believer, Last Train to Clarksville and (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone are now pop standards and can regularly be heard on oldies radio stations around the world.
The Beginning of The Monkees
An advertisement looking for "four insane boys" to star in a TV show was placed in Variety magazine in September 1965.
Four hundred and thirty seven aspiring actors and musicians auditioned for the show, but the final four chosen were musicians, Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork and former child actors, Mickey Dolenz and British-born, Davy Jones.
The Monkees TV Series
The first episode was shown on NBC in September 1966, a year after the auditions had taken place, and was an instant success with its crazy off-the-wall humour reminiscent of the Marx Brothers. Each week, the audience was treated to musical numbers, fantasy, dreamlike sequences and, invariably, Davy falling in love.
After two seasons, watched by approximately 10 million people per week, The Monkees was cancelled in early 1968.
"The Monkees Don't Play Their Own Instruments" Controversy
One of the most common criticisms that has dogged the Monkees throughout their 44-year existence is that they did not play their own instruments. While on the early recordings only their voices were used, later albums featured the four members playing a variety of instruments.
The online petition set up to lobby the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame to induct The Monkees, states that in 1967, Mike Nesmith was asked by a reporter if it was true that the group didn't play their own instruments, just as he was about to walk out on stage. “Man, I’m about to step out in front of a stadium full of people, and if I can’t play my own instrument, I’m in a lot of trouble,” he replied.
What music critics often fail to mention is that most groups in the 1960s, including such icons as The Beach Boys and The Byrds (who openly criticised The Monkees on So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star?) regularly employed session musicans.
"The Monkees Don't Write Their Own Songs" Controversy
Again, while it was a fact that The Monkees' early albums contained songs written mainly by outside writers, such as legendary songwriting duos, Boyce & Hart, and Goffin & King, subsequent records began to include more compositions from within the band.
Nesmith and Tork, in particular became accomplished songwriters. Nesmith's Mary, Mary, from the Monkees' second album, More of The Monkees, reached number five in Australia, while Tork co-wrote For Pete's Sake a tune that appeared over the closing credits of the show's second series.
The Monkees Rebel
The group's third album, Headquarters, was significant in that it marked the start of their struggle for more creative control and a desire to move away from the more "manufactured" pop sound. Apart from the odd string and horn player, the only session music used was bass player, Chip Douglas of The Turtles.
Nesmith, Tork and Jones all wrote or co-wrote songs for the album, but it was Mickey Dolenz's Randy Scouse Git (re-named Alternate Title in the UK),one of their most enduringly popular hits, that is perhaps the album's most memorable moment.
Head: The Rebellion Continues
According to the TV.com website, the film, Head was released in November 1968 "to a quizzical commercial response and mixed reviews." The bizarre content was The Monkees' attempt to completely break away from their carefully-constructed media image.
As with the The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour, the film has gained a cult following over the years and is now considered a fine example of late 1960s psychedelia.
The Monkees' Legacy
As mentioned on the online petition, The Monkees have sold over 65 million records and were the eighth highest-selling act of the 1960s.
They have performed to fans all over the world and are the holders of many records and rock 'n' roll "firsts."
Peter Tork was arguably the first musician to use the banjo on a pop record (on Mike Nesmith's You Told Me), while Mickey Dolenz owned one of the first Moog synthesisers and played it on Nesmith's Daily Nightly. This was a year before the Beatles started to experiment with the instrument.
In 1967, they outsold The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined, with four number one albums released that year. One of them sold five million copies, which was unheard of at the time.
The Monkees and the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame
Despite all this, The Monkees have still yet to become Hall of Famers. The exact reason why is unclear, but the manner in which they were put together, their use of session musicians and outside songwriters and the notion that they were not a "real band" continues to eat away at their credibility.
Fox presenter, Bill O' Reilly recently asked Davy Jones, in a video that appears on the latter's website, if the group saw themselves as a legitimate rock group or a pop phenomenon. "I think that good things stand the test of time," replied Jones "and I think The Monkees have proved that. As far as being a legitimate group, I don't really know what is in showbusiness. It's a business and therefore you've got to present yourself in the way that people enjoy it."
Although The Monkees were the "original boyband," they played their own instruments, wrote their own songs and fought hard for their artistic freedom. Unlike other manufactured pop bands, their name is still well-known 44 years later. How many of today's boybands will we still be listening to in 44 years' time? Maybe it's about time the Hall of Fame sat up and took note.
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