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From: kds@intelca.UUCP (Ken Shoemaker)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: The Monkees
Message-ID: <259@intelca.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 7-May-84 03:36:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: intelca.259
Posted: Mon May  7 03:36:06 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 9-May-84 03:29:58 EDT
References: <416@opus.UUCP> <1357@uw-june> <441@opus.UUCP> <1733@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: Intel, Santa Clara, Ca.
Lines: 29

How appropriate, the May 4 issue of BAM has a little bit on the Monkees,
in which we learn the true, sordid facts of just how they came about
in the first place.  Apparently it (they?) were the brainchild of
Bob Farelson and Bert Schneider, "two clever producers in search of the
American Beatles.  Having failed to find a real rock band to star in their
half-hour comedy series based on four fun-loving, long-haired musicians
(the Lovin' Spoonful were among those auditioned), the duo decided to
hire amateurs via an advertisement in Variety."
"The four finalists balanced two actors, Davy Jones and Mickey Dolenz, with
two musicians-Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith.....
Rehearsals commenced....schedule was far too hectic to allow the
foursome adequate time to develop their own music...Enter Don Kirshner...
Under the thumb of Kirshner, The Monkees needed only to dub their voices onto
pre-recorded tracks...Clarksville was released...a month before the show
would debut...On Monday, September 12, 1966 The Monkees debuted at
7:30 pm on NBC...." etc. etc.  The article points out that the reason for
the group's eventual demise was planted in its inception, that the
players really weren't Monkees, and they got tired of playing the part.

Anyway, the article is pretty interesting even if you aren't at all
interested in the Monkees because of the players involved, their
inspirations, and subsequent projects.  Written by Eric Lefkowitz,
it appears in the May 4, 1984 BAM (which is available, free, at most
California record stores (I believe BAM originally stood for
"Bay Area Music" but they had them down in Southern California a few
years ago, beyond that, I'm not sure of the distribution...)
-- 
Ken Shoemaker, Intel, Santa Clara, Ca.
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