stevewin Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I loved the Monkees youtube.com/watch?v=nU615FaODCg I still remember getting the 45 for 'Last Train to Clarksville' when I was a kid and playing it til it was worn out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Well...I know they didn't write it (Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart wrote it), but "they" recorded it as much as they recorded any other song. I am sure the music was played by a bunch of session guys...Mike Nesmith was the only one who was a musician, when they were cast as the Monkees. I am pretty sure, if nothing else, Mickey Dolenz is singing the vocal. It is likely much like that with most of their records. For all intents and purposes, it was the Monkees....and it was a great single. So a song written by two other guys a recorded by a few others and had Mixkey Dolenz on vocals makes it the Monkees? The only thing that the Monkees did was tape several goofy videos to that song. Which in my mind was the best part. They are credited with the creation of the music video however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 (edited) So a song written by two other guys a recorded by a few others and had Mixkey Dolenz on vocals makes it the Monkees? The only thing that the Monkees did was tape several goofy videos to that song. Which in my mind was the best part. They are credited with the creation of the music video however. Yup! If you applied your logic (and I am not saying it doesn't have merit) there really would be no Monkees songs, or countless other pop phenoms. "Steppin' Stone", along with most of the Monkees hits, were recorded under the same circumstances. The songs were recorded under the guise of the Monkees, the band name was slapped on the recordings...so, they are Monkees records, whatever that implies. Most of their hits were written by the likes of Boyce & Hart, Neil Sedaka, Neild Diamond, etc etc...the music business was a bit different then...part of what made Lennon and McCartny, Jagger/Richards, Nanker-Pheldge so special. The Monkees themselves were the 60's equivalent of Spinal Tap. Four actors, cast to play a Beatle-like pop-band. Only Mike Nesmith (and maybe Peter Tork a little) had any musical competence. I did get to see the Monkees in the late 80's/early 90's, and by that time, they did play their own instruemnts. Edited March 1, 2012 by Buftex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Yup! If you applied your logic (and I am not saying it doesn't have merit) there really would be no Monkees songs, or countless other pop phenoms. "Steppin' Stone", along with most of the Monkees hits, were recorded under the same circumstances. The songs were recorded under the guise of the Monkees, the band name was slapped on the recordings...so, they are Monkees records, whatever that implies. Most of their hits were written by the likes of Boyce & Hart, Neil Sedaka, Neild Diamond, etc etc...the music business was a bit different then...part of what made Lennon and McCartny, Jagger/Richards, Nanker-Pheldge so special. The Monkees themselves were the 60's equivalent of Spinal Tap. Four actors, cast to play a Beatle-like pop-band. Only Mike Nesmith (and maybe Peter Tork a little) had any musical competence. I did get to see the Monkees in the late 80's/early 90's, and by that time, they did play their own instruemnts. Oh sure the songs were by the Monkees. It's just that the Monkees were not Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz. There were two sets of Monkees. Those that recorded the music and the four actors that played them on TV. Big difference in my mind. Now later when they did tour that was different but not during the show. Would kind of be like The Band hiring a bunch of actors to play them on a goofy television show. Those actors who portrayed The Band would not be the band. Ok, using The Band to make my argument that the band on TV was not in fact The Band but a group of guys prented to be a band called The Band may have confused the issue...but it's what I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 no wonder your wife drinks....she has too.... Oh sure the songs were by the Monkees. It's just that the Monkees were not Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz. There were two sets of Monkees. Those that recorded the music and the four actors that played them on TV. Big difference in my mind. Now later when they did tour that was different but not during the show. Would kind of be like The Band hiring a bunch of actors to play them on a goofy television show. Those actors who portrayed The Band would not be the band. Ok, using The Band to make my argument that the band on TV was not in fact The Band but a group of guys prented to be a band called The Band may have confused the issue...but it's what I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 (edited) no wonder your wife drinks....she has too.... Don't be too hard on Chef, he just realized that the Archies didn't really sing "Sugar Sugar" Edited March 1, 2012 by Buftex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Don't be too hard on Chef, he just realized that the Archies didn't really sing "Sugar Sugar" And that Danny Bonaduce didn't really play bass and Susan Dey didn't really play keyboards. Or that Charlie Watts is the worst drummer ever...oh wait, I knew that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 DON'T EVER SPEAK DOWN ABOUT LORI PARTRIDGE!!!!!!!! And that Danny Bonaduce didn't really play bass and Susan Dey didn't really play keyboards. Or that Charlie Watts is the worst drummer ever...oh wait, I knew that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 DON'T EVER SPEAK DOWN ABOUT LORI PARTRIDGE!!!!!!!! Not only could she not play the piano she sucked on the flute. Wait....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrojanitor Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 (edited) Well...I know they didn't write it (Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart wrote it), but "they" recorded it as much as they recorded any other song. I am sure the music was played by a bunch of session guys...Mike Nesmith was the only one who was a musician, when they were cast as the Monkees. I am pretty sure, if nothing else, Mickey Dolenz is singing the vocal. It is likely much like that with most of their records. For all intents and purposes, it was the Monkees....and it was a great single. The first two records were done with session players with the boys just doing the singing. Starting with the Headquarters album in 1967 (their third) they played (all but Davy were musicians)and wrote usually about a third of the album. When they took control of their career they became one of the better pop bands of the sixties. I cannot recommend the album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd enough. Brilliant from start to finish. Their film (and soundtrack album) Head is essential as well. They made some of my favorite music, and two of my favorite records. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdd5xI9l7Ns The Monkees themselves were the 60's equivalent of Spinal Tap. Four actors, cast to play a Beatle-like pop-band. Only Mike Nesmith (and maybe Peter Tork a little) had any musical competence. not really true. Micky was an accomplished drummer and Peter Tork famously beat out Stephen Stills for his position. As they were always meant to make personal appearances they were all chosen for their singing and playing ability. Their producer during the first year, Don Kirshner, would bring in the wrecking crew while they were out on the road to finish off singles. They saw the More of The Monkees LP while on a tour. Nesmith practically killed Kirshner in exchange directly leading to them playing on their actual albums (as opposed to the collections of singles on the show that was the first two LPs). Their first tour after breaking free of Kirshner's grip was famous for introducing Jimi Hendrix to American audiences. Unfortunately the teenage girls booed him off stage every night. Led to the creation of the film Head which is essentially a 90 minute middle finger to that audience. At the beginning only Nez was writing songs (if you like country rock I highly suggest his early solo albums) so Boyce & Hart, Harry Nilsson and King & Goffin wrote a heavy chunk of the songs. Which seems a bit phony now, but that's pretty much how things were done in the pop world back then. Sinatra and Elvis didn't write their own material either Edited March 1, 2012 by Astrojanitor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Sinatra and Elvis didn't write their own material either Many don't but in my mind to be taken seriously you need to perform it and the Monkees didn't early on. Some of my favorite music is The Allman Bros covers of the old bluesmen. Favorite line from Fillmore East: “While we're doing that blues thing, we're gonna do an old Bobby ' Blue' Bland song. Actually, it's an old T-Bone Walker song" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Didn't Michael Nesmith's mother invent "White Out" or correction fluid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Didn't Michael Nesmith's mother invent "White Out" or correction fluid? Yup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Yup. Thank God we have computers with an edit feature... Or SDS would be springing for gallons of this stuff!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 And that Danny Bonaduce didn't really play bass and Susan Dey didn't really play keyboards. Or that Charlie Watts is the worst drummer ever...oh wait, I knew that. Now you're just being a dick! That is heresy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Now you're just being a dick! That is heresy. As a drummer I'm quite qualified to give that opinion. He keeps a good beat and that's about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 (edited) As a drummer I'm quite qualified to give that opinion. He keeps a good beat and that's about it. For the Stones "classic stuff" (pre-1982) I am not sure that he needed to do any more than that. I think his playing on "Some Girls" is pretty exceptional, for what it is. He is no Neal Peart (a good thing in my book), or even John Bohham or Keith Moon. But, his anchoring, meat and potatoes style fits the Stones perfectly. Other than Mick Taylor, and maybe Ron Wood, nobody would argue, even in their prime, that any of them were top flight musicians. But, whatever they did, it works, for me anyways. btwo- I used to play too...but I wasn't that good...I will take your word on it. Have you listened to any of Charlie Watts jazz recordings? Pretty nice stuff... Edited March 2, 2012 by Buftex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 For the Stones "classic stuff" (pre-1982) I am not sure that he needed to do any more than that. I think his playing on "Some Girls" is pretty exceptional, for what it is. He is no Neal Peart (a good thing in my book), or even John Bohham or Keith Moon. But, his anchoring, meat and potatoes style fits the Stones perfectly. Other than Mick Taylor, and maybe Ron Wood, nobody would argue, even in their prime, that any of them were top flight musicians. But, whatever they did, it works, for me anyways. btwo- I used to play too...but I wasn't that good...I will take your word on it. Have you listened to any of Charlie Watts jazz recordings? Pretty nice stuff... I would say that Charlie Watts > Micky Dolenz. And Paul Westerberg not only owns Daydream Believer but also I Think I Love You. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 For the Stones "classic stuff" (pre-1982) I am not sure that he needed to do any more than that. I think his playing on "Some Girls" is pretty exceptional, for what it is. He is no Neal Peart (a good thing in my book), or even John Bohham or Keith Moon. But, his anchoring, meat and potatoes style fits the Stones perfectly. Other than Mick Taylor, and maybe Ron Wood, nobody would argue, even in their prime, that any of them were top flight musicians. But, whatever they did, it works, for me anyways. btwo- I used to play too...but I wasn't that good...I will take your word on it. Have you listened to any of Charlie Watts jazz recordings? Pretty nice stuff... No I haven't. And when I said he was the worst drummer ever I was actually being sarcastic. I've been playing drums for nearly 40 year and most of it just jamming to music from CDs, online or my itunes. Since I bought my set of Rolands a few years ago it's safe to say that I'm better now than I ever was. I've wanted to hook up with some people to jam with but I just don't have the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I would say that Charlie Watts > Micky Dolenz. And Paul Westerberg not only owns Daydream Believer but also I Think I Love You. btw- after a January full of funerals, I finally got around to downloading that Brussles show you were raving about...you are right...it may be the best live Stones recording I have ever heard...that version of "Street Fighting Man" blows me away...great to hear the tired "war horse" songs when they were still fresh...Mick Taylor kills it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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