Damn, I loved me some Monkees when I was a kid.
I've done a little bit of reading on my dear, old pals the Monkees and they have a very interesting history.
Did you know that the Monkees:
- Had the top-selling American single of 1967 ("I'm a Believer").
- First rock band to extensively use the Moog Synthesizer on a pop album.
- First rock band to extensively use the pedal steel guitar on a pop album.
- One of the first pioneers of country-rock music.
- Outsold The Beatles and Elvis Presley combined in 1967.
- Hold the record for most #1 albums in one year. Four of their albums (The Monkees, More of the Monkees, Headquarters, and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.) hit #1 in 1967.
- First TV sitcom to make political and social comments defending the youth of America.
- First use of solarisation in a major motion picture.
- First television series to show teenagers living on their own.
- First rock band to use a multimedia live concert show.
- Gave the Jimi Hendrix Experience their first US concert appearances.
- First "manufactured" rock band (The Pre-Fab Four).
- First American band to play in Thailand.
- First rock band to win two Emmy awards.
- First male leads in a television series to have long hair.
- The Monkees reunion tour was the largest grossing tour of 1986.
- Re-charting various albums simultaneously during 1986 is an accomplishment shared only with The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.
- Last music artist to win the MTV Friday Night Video Fights by defeating Bon Jovi 51% to 49%.
- First marriage of television and music industry.
- Introduced Tim Buckley to a national audience, via his appearance in the series finale, "The Frodis Caper."
When I was in grad school I watched the Monkees movie "Head"for the first time. It's really the antithesis of the television series and the epitome of '60s psychedelia.

We also had this conversation:
Margaret: Is Davy Jones handsome?
Me: Some people think he is.
Mar: Do you think he is?
Me: I did when I was your age.
Mar: OK then.
Indeed, OK then.
1 comment:
Great blog! *sings* Hey, hey! We're the monkeys!!!
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