#what if... of Tork history

[thislovintime]

On the set of “Monkees Mind Their Manor,” the season two episode directed by Peter (filmed December 5-7, 1967, and originally aired on February 26, 1968).

“Peter used the classic one-camera technique [for ‘Monkees Mind Their Manor‘], whereas Micky used two cameras shooting simultaneously [for ‘Mijacogeo’]. ‘I found that The Monkees — both the series and the actors — were very tough to direct,’ Tork said. ‘I was fortunate because I had the help of some very inventive supporting players.’ […] Both boys edited their episodes themselves.” - Calgary Herald, March 1, 1968 “The four speak to each other as acquaintances and one gets the impression of a working-hours-or-sessions relationship only. They appear to be a little too polite to each other, too aware of each other for comfort. Peter defers to Micky’s talent as a director. ‘You know, like we were doing one TV show with Micky directing,’ Peter imitates Micky’s muggings. ‘He takes the script, flips it open and says, “Let’s see here now… we shoot starting with page seven… here boys,” he calls over the camera crew and in bright sunlight shoots in four hours with no rehearsal what it normally takes 12 hours to shoot.’ Micky grins, bows politely with a ‘Thank you, kind sir.’” - article by Peggy King, Oakland Tribune, December 7, 1968 “Super-director Tork is so good that the boys actually get through early and spend the last 30 minutes or so chit-chatting with you. When you ask Peter how he feels after having directed the Monkees segment, he thinks for a minute and then says, ‘Micky was much more radical than I. I used one camera — making master shots and close-ups. Micky did the opposite. I don’t know whether the Monkees are hard to direct or whether I am just not experienced enough, but it wasn’t easy. Even so, I’m hooked, man. I am really going to try it again. You know what? Now I would like to direct a musical spectacular!’ Mike and Davy, who have been eavesdropping, suddenly crack up. ‘Hey, man — we think you were great!’ they exclaim. And all at once you realize that they are not joking; that they had a ball working with Peter and really mean what they said.” - article by Gloria Stavers, 16 Magazine, May 1968 “I must say that as I look back on it, the show is very, very mild, very quiet, very low-key. If I had it to do over again, I might have tried to direct it a little more slam-bang, you know, that’s sort of Micky’s style. I think Micky’s job, Micky’s ‘Frodis Caper,’ I thought that was a brilliant job, and, and I think I did well, I don’t think I did as well as Micky by a long shot, but I thought that I did do some funny bits, and captured some moments that — I loved throwing Jack Williams, our prop man, into the show. And I loved doing, you know, break-the-frame reality kinds of things, the couple of running jokes which I thought were really fine. And I enjoyed myself directing very much. And I’m glad to say, what with a little competent help, we were able to help me cover my own weak spots, we were able to do, I thought, a real creditable job.” - Peter Tork, Headquarters Radio, 1989

[yankcrime]

oh my god wait I just realized I never told anyone this. last fall I was in full Monkees induced hysteria but I didn't have anyone to talk to about it so I was just kinda letting it build up. Anyways I offhandedly mentioned the Monkees to my mom and she thought it was funny that I was into them, we talked about them for a little bit then she was like "you know one of them's on my family tree?" (Context: at this point in time my dad was obsessed with putting together family trees and was getting extremely thorough with them) And I was like "oh my God what?? Which one???" And she was like "Peter Tork... we're not actually related at all but his first wife was like my mom's sister's husband's stepdad's grandson's wife's sister"(I'm just making shit up bc I don't remember the specifics but it was VERY loosely related. Like he really should not have been there.) so of course I scurried upstairs immediately to look at the family tree and sure as shit there he was. Later my dad removed him and many other not-actually-relatives because it was taking up too much of his time or something. Now that I think about it it's not that interesting of a story but those few seconds before i learned he wasnt related to me were some of the scariest few seconds of my life. moral of the story is you never know when your dad is gonna get really into family history and uncover that the 60s music guy youve been insane about was briefly married to someone you're not even related to but is still on your family tree fpr some reason

[singeratlarge]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MONKEES + SATURDAY MATINEE MUSIC VIDEO – The Monkees “Porpoise Song” (live 2011) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgV3KLUrhAw This week in 1966, THE MONKEES TV show premiered and changed everything in popular music, television, and multi-media. Someday I’m going to write out my “journey with The Monkees.” Like millions of other pre-teens in 1966-67, I caught on to their music and their cutting-edge show that was a form of rock’n’roll psychedelic vaudeville. Frank Zappa and The Beatles were amongst their fans, and John Lennon said he “never missed an episode.” Little did I imagine that one day I’d professionaly work with The Monkees. 

One day I was doing an interview and was asked, “What’s your favorite Monkees song?” My knee-jerk response is “Porpoise Song.” Besides being my #1 favorite Monkees song to perform and listen to, this was the only uncut footage I could find of us doing “Porpoise Song” on the American wing of the 2011 tour (thanks to Joey PGH1 for capturing this @ Merrillville IN 6-30-11). According to Monkees-authority/historian/manager Andrew Sandoval (who guided the 2011 international tour), the original recording was the most elaborate production in Monkees history. Cashbox magazine compared it to “I Am The Walrus,” and for me it felt like participating in a Pink Floyd set. Written by Carole King & Gerry Goffin (who created the porpoise theme), the song bookended the 1968 film HEAD, the deconstruction of The Monkees mythology.

Personnel on this performance: 

Micky Dolenz: drums & lead vocals 

Davy Jones: percussion & vocals 

Peter Tork: slide guitar & vocals 

Wayne Avers: lead slide guitar 

Eric Biondo: trumpet 

Johnny J. Blair: bass & vocals + video-enhancement (2023) 

Arnold Jacks: saxophone 

Aviva Maloney: keyboards, saxophone, & vocals 

Jimmy Riccitelli: keyboards & vocals 

David Robicheau: guitar & vocals 

Andrew Sandoval: visuals 

Felipe Torres: drums & vocals 

Chris von Sneidern: remastering (2023) 

#mickydolenz #themonkees #porpoisesong #headmovie #psychedelicrock #poprock #actor #director #producer #vocalist #singer #johnnyjblair #bassist #monkeestour #caroleking #gerrygoffin #andrewsandoval #birthday #davyjones #michaelnesmith #petertork

[sweetertork]

i know the monkees/beatles comparisons have been tired and overdone since 1966 but i think it is funny to put them side by side and see some of the similarities . well mainly because peter tork and george harrison are both my beautiful scorned autistic princess dianas and i could have saved both of them. but also because i think john lennon an d mike nesmith have all the same problems its just one of them was from working class liverpool and the other was from lower middle class texas and i think thats the crux of their differences. and also i like the parallels between davy jones and paul mccartney. two nice talented guys that everyone was madly in love with during the 60s and they think they are soooooooo normal and have no issues but literally take one look at their histories and things they have said and its like Hey man whats up. do you need to talk

[mystical-one]

todays theme of thought isbthe tumultuous history of peter tork and michael nesmith like what was up with those guys

[rainydawgradioblog]

Top Ten Songs that my Roommates Hate:

If I’m good at anything it's being obnoxious. Here’s ten songs that I love, but drive my roommates up the wall.  Ranked from their most to least tolerable.

10.  “Bangs”- They Might be Giants

Starting off very tame, “Bangs” has the signature TMBG geeky sound and whiny vocals. The song conjures imagery of pocket protectors and protractors. With lyrics like "royal flyness" and talk of concordant angles, “Bangs” is likely a big hit in the math department. Hey at least they've got taste.

9.  “Billy Don't Be a Hero”- Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods

What's better than mass manufactured 70s bubblegum pop hit about the Civil War? A cover of the Paper Lace ‘classic’, “Billy Don't Be a Hero” tells a story of a soldier killed in combat, in the most catchy, kitschy way possible. It’s a very addictive song, so please listen responsibly.

8.  “Xanadu”- Rush

“Xanadu” by Rush is not to be confused with the 1980 Olivia Newton John film of the same name, though both are pretty polarizing. The only critique I can offer is that at only 11 minutes, “Xanadu” is entirely too short. Who wouldn't want to " To stand within the pleasure dome, decreed by Kubla Khan” with Geddy Lee. Sounds pretty cool if you ask me.

7. “Motorcycle Mama”- Harpo

Everyone knows that a truly great musician is defined by their references to other, better musicians. Unlike the other songs on this list ( with the exception of Gaucho) this is a bad song, but it's a blast. Harpo’s so caught up in trying to string Ravi Shankar and Fritz the Cat together that he entirely forgets to pay any attention to the rest of the song.

6.  “Be True to Your School”- The Beach Boys

Clearly, my roommates are lacking some serious school spirit. Just wait until some loud braggart tries to put them down. They won't know what hit them.

5. “Your Auntie Grizelda”- The Monkees

I'm a big fan of the Monkees, but even I have to admit that “Your Auntie Grizelda" is an annoying song. There is a definite reason Peter Tork wasn't placed on vocals, but I think there's a certain charm to having a singer who can't really sing.

4. “Schlock Rod Pt. 2”- Jan and Dean

“Schlock Rod Pt. 2” is nothing if not unique, it's an obnoxious conversation between two men, complete with constant voice cracks. Set to a tune consisting of clanging metal and sputtering car engines, it's satire, and I’ll defend it till the end. Think this one is annoying? Check out part one.

3. “Gaucho”- Steely Dan

I apologize in advance to all the Dan Fans out there, but damn this song sucks. Listening to “Gaucho” is like being transported to your grandpa’s pontoon in the 80s, and when a song mentions ponchos more than once, there’s a fundamental issue lyrically.

2. “Sally MacLennane”- The Pogues

The best way to listen to any Pogues song is at an ear-splitting volume, though the people I live with might disagree. If you have too many friends, this will either take care of it (especially if you listen at strange hours of the morning) or you’ll meet the best people you’ll ever know. Rest in peace, Shane MacGowan, you are a legend and a genius.

1. “Strap on That Jammy Pac”- Ween

Recorded on a four-track cassette while both Dean and Gene Ween were supposedly huffing Scotchgard (they probably weren’t) and had mono (they probably did); “Strap on That Jammy Pac” is the first track off of The Pod, which is easily one of the best albums of all time. Shout out to Ween for this much needed addition to blues-country history.

-Parks

[repurposedmeatlocker]

top 5 monkees episodes??

OMFGGGG

Gonna rate these in a combination of "cinematically significant" as well as a good dose of my personal opinion :P

Monkees on Tour - I really dig this one! I love how they went for a kind of "cinéma vérité" style. Stylistically one of the episodes that stands out the most from the rest of their usual show format, and all the better for it. I also feel that it is probably the most "honest" look at each member as a real person. The whole thing with The Monkees is how they blur the line between real and fake, to the point that even hardcore fans have trouble telling the difference. I think this episode is the closest they all got to being a little honest. Maybe overblown in the dramatic interview portions, but the intent is still there. Now if only we can get the full live footage of those concerts...I know some vault has them...my personal white whale.

The Devil and Peter Tork - What HASN'T already been said about "The Devil and Peter Tork"?? It is kind of THE Monkees episode. I am not gonna talk too much about all the inner meanings behind the narrative and how it reflects on The Monkees trying to gain acceptance in music history, or how Peter's deal with the devil reflects the band's own downfall. I will just say that the "selling soul to the devil" plot-line and trope is one of my favorite media allusions. It never fails. Also Mike Nesmith's speech. Yeah that's it.

Mijacgeo or The Frodis Caper - Their last episode being not only one of their best and most unique, but ALSO directed by Micky Dolenz just makes it so awesome. The humor in it seriously holds up the way a good ytp does. I love how crazy and insane it is. The aliens, the eye controlling people through the television, the weed references. It is so 60s. I want to explore Micky's mind.

Some Like It Lukewarm - Ok this one is EXTREMELY biased. I know that a lot of elements with the narrative do not age well and sit wrong. I am still peeved how their idea of a "mixed gender group" is just having the girls stand around and dance like...ok...BUT I think that it is certainly a hilarious episode. Their outfits are some of my favs, Davy is in drag, and I love their performance of "She Hangs Out". It is so cute and fun. Also Davy is in drag.

Success Story - Super early episode compared to the others here, but I think it is EVEN MORE IMPORTANT because of it. It is kind of a traditional format episode by Monkees standards. Monkees deal with a conflict, go through musical hijinks to solve it, win in the end yay. But man...Davy put his ALL in acting for this. When he is told he has to leave and go back to England and is saying goodbye to them...Like, holy shit man. I am crying because of the mf Monkees show. The fact that they decided to air an episode of this emotional magnitude so early in the show's run, and the fact that it could carry such an emotional impact, really just says a lot about each member as an actor and the relationship they built onscreen. I don't know if people realize how entertaining these guys are as actors, and how well they built a believable onscreen relationship with one another. I think this episode is kind of a testament to that.

[torkehub]

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CRM software has emerged as an integral tool for businesses who want to maximize sales, improve customer interaction, or simply become more efficient. Integrated CRM systems enable the management of your customer relationships, sales pipelines, process automation, real-time notifications, and deliver invaluable insights into your business operations amongst other things. Out of these best solutions out there, TorkeHub AI CRM is an innovative platform that smartly embeds artificial intelligence to optimally reduce friction in sales and customer relations.

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Businesses need formalization in customer interactions — especially in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

Here is a list of benefits provided by a competent CRM system:

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Improved Customer Engagement: Personalized communication and timely responses strengthen relationships.

Analytics & Reporting: Insights into customer behaviour and sales trends using advanced analytics and reporting in a hyper automation system.

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TorkeHub AI CRM is built to equip the businesses with a one-stop solution for handling your sales, customer relationships as well as team collaboration. It leverages AI to deliver intelligent features that increase efficiency and contribute to improved business performance.

1)AI-Powered Sales Automation

TorkeHub AI CRM automates your repetitive sales tasks like capturing leads, follow-ups, customer interactions. With its artificial intelligence integrated, the platform forecasts customer requirements and recommends the best ways to finalize the deals.

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A complete database provides the businesses with customer profiles, customer purchase history and what the customer has communicated with the business. This allows for personalized engagement, enabling better relationship management.

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Best CRM for Startups in Bangalore offer data security, accessibility and scalability with cloud-based infrastructure. Organizations can tailor the system to their requirements and scale it as they expand.

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[saltlickmp3]

some highlights from the notes

all the starless sea enjoyers!!! hell yeah

everyone who said the room itself was more than 100 years old

the person who had an actor from 13 reasons why ask where the nearest bank of america was

the person whose 'glasses inside' moment was a crowley good omens cosplay, & the person whose eyes hurt from phone light so turned the room lights on but wore crowley glases. to make it darker.

'went to school with some kids who became a small-time rock band. it was tragic what happened to them' (no further details. i really want to know now)

everyone describing their favourite coats and capes and specifying they are dramatic

rare book 'the lover's meisal' run of 6000 printed in 1897 - the person's copy has a flower pressed it in 'who knows how old'

the person who wore sunglasses performing in their highschool band cos the eye contact gave them 'nuclear stage fright'. if i had seen you i would have thought you were the coolest person ever

'i have. several massively long leopard print coats <3 i'm insufferable anytime i'm wearing one nobody call tell me ANYTHING'

the person who bumped into peter tork while following their mum on her smoke break and also has an heirloom menorah

'#I don’t know if this counts but I met the guy from welcome to nightvale at podcon while sitting in the hallway knitting #I had no idea it was him as I dont listen to nightvale and I’m completely faceblind #but he was very nice #realized who it was after he started the silent hallway disco'

all the old editions of shakespeare plays

'met kristen stewart in a bar' * 'i met john cena at a pottery store'

minored in art history '#but also medieval phenomenology is fascinating#i wrote one paper on christian syncretism and another on the way that the Tenrikyo religion instills pro-japanese sentiments to#non-japanese worshippers (especially vietnamese). it's also an example of syncretism but it includes nationalist japanese themes mostly' (i dont what this means but i am fascinated'

'READ THE STARLESS SEA OR DIE BY MY BLADE'

yard sale long black wool cloak the person wears to goth festivals

watercolour painting by the persons' great-grandmother

'ERIN MORGENSTERN MENTION'

'STARLESS SEA FAN LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOO'

person who own a million mark note from 1923

#ERIN MORGENSTERN MY BELOVED FAVORATE AUTHOR YESSSSSSSS #STARLESS SEA AND NIGHT CIRCUS ARE SO GOODDDDDD AAAAAA

'watched phantom of the opera for the soundtrack but doesn't evreyone?'

someone has an original copy of grimms fairytales

'met a touring guitarist for green day. he not in the band anymore b/c hes a dick lol'

reblog for sample please :D

[thislovintime]

During the filming of “Monkee See, Monkee Die,” June 1966.

“Midway through the season, we shot one of my favorites episodes of all time, ‘Getting Davy Jones.’ As the head of Fernwood Junior High’s Davy Jones Fan Club, Marcia is responsible for getting the impossibly cute lead singer from the Monkees to appear at their prom, and after various miscommunications and lots of worry, she comes through. […] Davy’s arrival on the set created a buzz greater than any other guest star we had on the show. Of course I was thrilled to be the one who got to interact with him. I can see why Eve could get jealous. Davy was a lovely guy, and it was a big deal to have a pop star of his caliber on the set. I noticed Barry watch him the way one might if looking for pointers. Though excited to be the object of his affection, or rather attention, I didn’t show it. I’d learned to play it cool around stars. My heart fluttered when he kissed me at the end, I’ll admit it, but Peter Tork was always my favorite Monkee. That was the difference between Marcia and me. She was predictable, a straight arrow. My taste was quirky, offbeat, and different.” - Maureen McCormick, Here’s The Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice (2009)

Q: “What do you want to do when The Monkees break up? Peter: “I try not to think too much about what happens after the Monkees break up. It’s rather depressing since I don’t know what I want to do. So far, I’ve found my greatest joy in being a performer and musician. When I’m on stage performing, I get a feeling of fulfillment that I don’t get at any other time. I’m inclined to think that I wouldn’t spend much time on television unless there was a live audience. That’s what really makes it fun — having the people right there. I like to work with a crowd, to sort of mold the act to suit the type of people in your audience. You don’t get that kind of challenge on a television set, except an occasional laugh from the crew. They get so used to your antics and they’ve seen you when you’re not quite so clever, so it’s very difficult to get a reaction from them. With a normal audience, however, even when they don’t react, it’s some kind of non-reaction. Maybe they can’t hear you or they can’t understand you or they just don’t like you. So, in conclusion, more or less, I think I’d want to do something for a live audience, but what sort of thing, I don’t know yet. Maybe I never will.” - Flip, August 1967

“[Peter] has reactivated some old contacts and recently tried out at Paramount for comedy spots on ‘Happy Days,’ ‘Laverne and Shirley’ and ‘Mork and Mindy.’ ‘
I’m trying comedy because I know I’m glib, and I know I’m good at it,’ he said. ‘And I’m taking acting lessons. I’ll be glib one day in drama too. ‘Maybe first I can get a walk-on, then some solid comedic roles, then maybe in time a feature role in another series, then films, then maybe I can make enough to finance my music, which is really what I want to do,’ he said, the bounds of his quite sincere fantasy mushrooming in a minute.” - article by Steve Sonsky, The Miami Herald, February 18, 1979 (x)

[dangerpronebuddie]

Asking you three questions even though you LITERALLY reblogged that post from me and didn't send me any 😤 (jk I love you)

What's one song that makes you weep with nostalgia?

If you could be any fruit which one would you be?

What's the last place you went on a long vacation to?

<3

I DIDN'T KNOW I DIDN'T 😭😭 (I shall remedy this muahaha)

1. Daydream Believer by The Monkees. My first ever favorite song and I tear up every time I hear it. Still my all time favorite. It's beautiful. The piano that plays was composed by one of the members (Peter Tork) but he wasn't credited for it. I'm a little bitter about that. Anyway! I really love it 😍

2. Fruit? Hmmmm... Fun question. Probably a bunch of grapes. I don't know why lol.

3. Albuquerque! I really really wanted to go to the aquarium and when we got to town we found out the natural history museum had a brain exhibit so I got to geek out! And also see a lot about dinosaurs 😁. Also got to see some stingrays at the aquarium that would wave as they passed in their tank.

LOVE YOU TOO MUAH 😘

[armouros]

KIWI youtubers i know about

a list of Aotearoa new zealand youtubers that i know of.

Hello Future Me talks about story writing but also some avatar and lord of the rings stuf. has the look and sound of a youtube video esay person .

Izzzyzzz puts on a full face of makeup on to fit the topic which is usually about old internet , toys , the sims or some creepy thing.

Viva La Dirt League i dont find ther stuf larf out loud funny but most of the time i can see what thay wher going for . thay have a -What now- vibe like it was made for young teens. i think that pay for advertising because that's how i found them.

Bryony Claire torks about sochil ishues like long covid , being sad , age appropriate clothing- kind of like dinerer tabel conversion but actually interesting.

White Man Behind A Desk politacal stuf cind of like last week tonight. dusnot poast much eneymore but ther is a sekshon on nz citasons hand book that is evergreen

The Aotearoa History Show learn about kiwis past. some of it is animated which is more fun. plus that try very hard to not be biased.

ManyKudos deep dive into random stuf

if you know eney kiwi tubers plese let me know.

[adultswim2021]

Robot Chicken #25: “Federated Resources” | April 9, 2006 – 11:30PM | S02E02

Man, I hate this show. I was sorta prepared for the idea of getting won over by it a little bit, or being able to discern an improvement from season one, but so far I find it as abrasive and shitty as ever.

There's a running sketch called “Dicks with Time Machines” where a jerk travels back in time and tampers with history in various rude ways, like feed J.K. Rowling false intel about her future success writing a children's novel about a farting raccoon with an afro, painting a Looney Tunes style tunnel on the side of a mountain for Paul Revere to crash into, and tampering with the ten commandments. This ends with him pranking Hitler by showing a video of him having diarrhea at one of his rallies, causing him to be labeled a HERO with a Time Machine. Bad sketch now that we know that J.K. Rowling is literally worse than Hitler.

There's a sketch where the Thundercat guy winds up on modern day Earth and has been trapped at the pound, only to be adopted by a little girl who treats him like a regular housecat. Then there's one where Clifford the big red dog is rambunctiously destroying the neighborhood so they get him neutered. This is sorta the same premise when you think about it, but what are you gonna do?

There's a sketch that I distinctly remember seeing before, where the Swedish Chef from the Muppets is going about his day and he sees a bunch of stuff that rhymes with “bork” (Bjork, Mork, Peter Tork, etc), and pointing them out and saying them. This sketch in particular really grated on me, and the only thing separating it from an actual children's television sketch was a violent flourish at the end involving an Orc. The punchline is that he goes home and yells at his wife in a different, more coherent voice. I don't know why but I just feel like I'm having keys dangled in front of me with this shit.

The last, lengthy sketch involves Corey Feldman and Corey Haim rescuing the Bush twins, who were in the news frequently for partying too much. This is a convoluted premise that doesn't even make sense, and is almost tailor-made to flatter the celebrity stars that they rope into voicing themselves. Here they are sorta adventure heroes, and the jokes that dig at them aren't really that caustic or personal. This also failed to make me feel anything, really.

EPHEMERA CORNER:

Upfront 2006 Showcase (April 2, 2006)

On this night, Adult Swim, to make up for the April Fools stunt, presented a bunch of previews of upcoming shows. I sorta scrubbed through the above video, but I saw the following:

Frisky Dingo! Formally referred to as Whiskey Tango. Advertised as coming in September, but it came in October instead. From the twisted minds that brought you Sealab 2021.

Metalocalypse! From the twisted mind of one of the guys who brought you Home Movies. Advertised as coming in August, and it did!

That Crook'd 'Sip, aka That Crook'd 'Sipp. Advertised as coming this Fall, but the pilot didn't air until 2007 as part of the Night of 1000 Pilots event. If I recall correctly the animation looked slightly different from what we see here. The whole thing got scrapped and turned into Freaknik: The Musical, which was much better than the pilot we saw.

Assy McGee! I remember seeing most of these promos, and I especially remembered this one for how different it looked from the final product. The clip we see also features Jon Glaser which I don't think the actual series did at all? Billed as coming in December, but it came a little earlier than that.

Korgoth of Barbaria! Look, I scrubbed through the video so I'm not sure this was formally part of the preview event, but we did get a promo for Korgoth, which I think aired in the summer.

Lucy: The Daughter of the Devil, billed as coming soon, but it only used clips from the already-aired pilot. The series proper doesn't actually start until September 2007

Saul of the Mole People! Later retitled as Saul of the Molemen. Billed as “pilot coming soon”, and I remember it looking very fun. The pilot never formally aired. If I recall correctly they packaged a bunch of clips from the pilot that weren't used in the first episode and threw them on the website for a brief period of time. The first episode aired in February of 2007 and premiered alongside Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! As the first live-action shows formally introduced to the block.

MAIL BAG

Here's where we're at with chuck norris humor: there's a brewery in my city that has multiple stickers saying "chuck norris would wear a mask." Uh, he probably wouldn't

Very true. He’d probably give covid a dirty look and send it packing back to Wuhan!!!! He’d probably drop an atomic bomb on China and kill all the guys there! He’d probably commit genocide.

" And Harlem Globetrotters got matched up with Boondocks because I don’t wanna say why out loud." / Okay, I will say right now. The Harlem Globetrotters is an all-black basketball team and the Boondocks is a show with a mostly all-black cast. That's why you did it. Even though Riley and Huey don't present an interest in basketball you did it. You did it because you could. Lucky for you, there is an episode in season 2 all about baskeball, so I'm bailing you out of this one. You're Welcome!

Please let me be racist in peace. I don’t have friends, or money, or happiness, or success. I am tired of life and being alive. This is all I have.

[c-o-d-a]

The Monkees w / Jimi Hendrix Experience

The strange story of how Jimi Hendrix joined the Monkees tour and was then kicked off the tour 12 dates later.

One of the more bizarre pairings in pop music history (perhaps surpassed only by David Bowie’s performing a duet of ....

“The Little Drummer Boy” with Bing Crosby on the latter’s “Merrie Olde Christmas Show” in 1977) occurred in the summer of 1967, when guitar great Jimi Hendrix served as one of the supporting acts on the Monkees’ American tour.

Yes, that Jimi Hendrix. As late as mid-1967, Jimi Hendrix still wasn’t a household name in America. The Seattle-born guitarist was known to music’s inner world as a touring musician and session player, and he had developed a strong following as a performer and a recording artist in England, but stardom in America still eluded him. His electric and fiery performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967 (which he ended by lighting his guitar on fire and holding it over his head) brought him a great deal of notoriety, but he still lacked the chart hit (and the attendant radio airplay and media exposure) necessary to make the breakthrough to pop music’s upper echelon.

Into this breach stepped the most unlikely of benefactors: the Monkees. A couple of members of the “pre-fab four” were already familiar with Jimi Hendrix and his music, as Micky Dolenz later recalled:

The first time I’d seen Hendrix was in New York at some club in the Village. He was playing lead guitar for the John Hammond band. I’d been invited down to hear “this guy play with his teeth.” Sure enough, there was this young Black guy who, besides being an extraordinary guitar picker, would occasionally raise the instrument up to his mouth and play it with his teeth.

Mike Nesmith remembered when he first heard of Hendrix as well:

I was in London visiting John Lennon, and I was having dinner with him, McCartney and Clapton. And John was late. When he came in he said, “I’m sorry I’m late but I’ve got something I want to play you guys.” He had a handheld tape recorder and he played “Hey Joe.” Everybody’s mouth just dropped open. He said, “Isn’t this wonderful?” So I made a mental note of Jimi Hendrix, because Lennon had introduced me to his playing.

When Dolenz and fellow Monkee Peter Tork caught up with Hendrix again at the Monterey Pop Festival, the idea of a Hendrix-Monkees tour was born:

It just so happened that we were due to begin our summer tour in a couple of weeks, and we still needed another opening act. When I got back to L.A. I mentioned Hendrix and his impressive theatrics to [our producers]. The Monkees was very theatrical in my eyes and so was the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It would make the perfect union. Jimi must have thought so too, because a few weeks later he agreed to be the opening act for our upcoming summer tour.

What could have possessed the Monkees to make such an offer, or Jimi Hendrix to accept it? After all, although the Monkees had moved away from merely providing vocals for pre-recorded teenybopper pop songs cranked out by professional songwriters to creating their own more sophisticated and relevant music, their concert audience was still largely composed of prepubescent white girls (and their mothers, stuck with the thankless task of chaperoning them). Hendrix’s target audience, on the other hand, was a bit more mature, more heavily male, and more racially diverse — a difference underscored by a comment Hendrix had made about the Monkees to Melody Maker several months earlier:

Oh God, I hate them! Dishwater. I really hate somebody like that to make it so big. You can’t knock anybody for making it, but people like the Monkees?

All of this makes it sound as though Jimi Hendrix would have been the last musician to agree to tour as a supporting act for the Monkees. Nonetheless, Hendrix had pragmatic reasons for accepting an offer from promoter Dick Clark to join The Sundowners and Australian singer Lynn Randell on the Monkees tour:

Hendrix and [his co-manager Chas] Chandler had their own reasons for accepting the dates. They had achieved three top ten hits in England, but they were yet to chart in America. The scorching set at Monterey was a start, but it needed to be capitalized upon immediately, and Dick Clark’s offer of playing before hundreds of thousands of record-buying American kids was hard to refuse.

For their part, the Monkees just wanted the opportunity to watch Hendrix up close. To Monkees producer and songwriter Tommy Boyce, it was “A personal trip. They wanted to watch Jimi Hendrix every night; they didn’t care if he didn’t fit.” As Mike Nesmith admitted:

The Jimi Hendrix experience … were the apotheosis of sixties psychedelic ribbon shirts and tie-dye, they had pinwheels for eyes and their hair was out to here … I thought, “Man, I gotta see this thing live.” So that night, I stood in front of the stage and listened to Hendrix at sound check. And I thought, “Well, this guy’s from Mars; he’s from some other planet, but whatever it is, thank heaven for this visitation.” And I listened to him play the sound checks and the concert. I thought, “This is some of the best music I’ve heard in my life.”

Peter Tork was more candid, and more on the mark:

Nobody thought, “This is screaming, scaring-the-balls-off-your-daddy music compared with the Monkees,” you know? It didn’t cross anybody’s mind that it wasn’t gonna fly. And there’s poor Jimi, and the kids go, “We want the Monkees, we want the Monkees.” We went early to the show and listened to what this man could do because he really was a world class musician.

As everyone should have expected, things went badly right from the start; precious few of the anxiously screaming Monkees fans cared to sit through an act they could neither comprehend nor appreciate. Micky Dolenz noted:

Jimi would amble out onto the stage, fire up the amps, and break into “Purple Haze,” and the kids in the audience would instantly drown him out with, “We want Daavy!” God, was it embarrassing.

And Mike Nesmith observed:

Th[e] night he opened in front of us … he walked into the beast. There were twenty thousand pink waving arms. He would sing “Foxy” and they would shout, “Davy” — “Foxy” — “Davy …” Oh, man, it was a seriously twisted moment. He lasted seven dates.

To make a bad situation even worse, Hendrix joined the tour in progress in Jacksonville, Florida on 8 July 1967, just before the Monkees were scheduled to play a couple of shows in North Carolina. One would have been hard pressed to have found a part of America less likely to appreciate what Micky Dolenz described as “this Black guy in a psychedelic Day-Glo blouse, playing music from hell, holding his guitar like he was f**king it, then lighting it on fire” and what Eric Lefcowitz termed “the cacophonic strains of Hendrix’s feedback orgies mixed with his lascivious sexuality.”

Matters came to head a few days later as the Monkees played a trio of dates in New York:

After a handful of gigs, Hendrix grew sick of the “We want the Monkees” chant that met his every performance. Finally, he flipped the bird at the less-than-enthusiastic crowd at Forest Hills Stadium in New York and stormed offstage.

Hendrix had had enough: “Purple Haze” was starting to dent the American record charts, and it was time for him to head out on his own and play for audiences who wanted to see him. He asked to be let out of his contract, and he and the Monkees amicably parted ways.

But one last bit of Monkee business turned an unforgettable experience into a legendary one.

Music critic Lillian Roxon, who was tagging along on the tour with her friend Lynne Randell, crafted a mischievous press release to explain Hendrix’s abrupt departure. She wrote, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, that the right-wing group Daughters of the American Revolution had complained that Hendrix’s stage act was “too erotic” and he was “corrupting the morals of America’s youth,” and the DAR had pressured the promoters to dismiss him from the tour. The put-on went over the heads of most of “the establishment” and was duly printed as a straight news story, creating a “fact” that would continue to be cited for years to come. Hendrix, of course, went on to achieve superstardom before dying only three years later, leaving behind a legacy of classic rock music and one quirky little legend. Sunset Blvd. Records

[nakedpersimmon]

Thought I would share with you guys that the "Dean of American Rock Critics" Robert Christgau recently shared his thoughts on The Monkees in his Xgau Sez Q&A newsletter. Unfortunately I can't post links here, but I was wondering of your thoughts on his answer?

So, for those who haven’t seen this, here are the thoughts in question (from the October 20th column):

The first thing to note is that historically, the Monkees have never gotten a fair shake from the mainstream rock press, and were subjected to harsh treatment by critics since their inception in the ‘60s (while, ironically, being welcomed with open arms and received very warmly by their fellow musicians, from The Beatles to Jimi Hendrix to Crosby, Stills, & Nash and beyond). 

There seems to be this idea that the Monkees are a band that most people either loathe/hate completely or “deify” (to use Christgau’s word) and uphold as perfect and beyond reproach. There is also an idea that bands--particularly a band like the Monkees--can only be validated as “good” when a critic (usually male) says they are, regardless of fans’ opinions. 

The actual reality is that the vast majority of Monkees fans love the Monkees’ music, but are fully aware that not everything they put out was great. Monkees fans also know that--regardless of the quality of their output--the Monkees had and do have a place in pop and music history.  Were they initially put together for the purposes of a TV show? Yes, absolutely. But what those producers caught was “lightning in a bottle” (to quote Micky’s autobiography), and that chemistry, that magic, that permanent alteration to our consciousness would not have happened with any other four guys. 

The Monkees exploded onto the cultural landscape in a way no one could have anticipated. Yes, they had songwriters like Bobby Hart, Tommy Boyce, Neil Diamond, etc. helping to craft that early Monkees sound, but it was the four of them who took things to another level, who wrested control of their musical destinies from the Powers That Be, recorded Headquarters, and showed the world who and what the Monkees truly are--both as a group, and as individually talented artists. 

The one fair point this “Dean of American Rock Critics” makes is that there are, indeed, other equally catchy groups out there. But what he fails to grasp is that it isn’t just the music that made the Monkees, that cemented their place both in history and in our hearts...it’s the men. It’s David Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith--for good, for bad, and for everything in between.

(Also, “perverse absurdity” is a fucking harsh thing to say, and that he wants to categorize Monkees fans as “poptimist contrarians” shows how close-minded this douchecanoe really is, so, TL;DR: Robert Christgau can STFU and have several seats.) 

[thislovintime]

The Monkees with CFUN DJ's Terry David Mulligan and John Tanner in Vancouver, April 1, 1967.

“Regina: CKCK’s Terry David Mulligan claims to be the first Canadian air personality with an interview with the Monkees and he has a tape to prove it. Anyone wishing a copy can take Mulligan up on his boast by sending him a blank tape and he will return a dub to sender. Terry also did a 30 minute Christmas show with Peter Tork, his sister and brother. They sang cuts from the Monkees new LP (Mulligan sings too)[,] sang a few carols and just chit-chatted in a relaxing mood.” - RPM Canada, January 28, 1967 (this Christmas 1966 anecdote was previously posted here and more about Christmas 1967 here)

“History records that The Monkees played their first Canadian concert in Winnipeg on April 1/1967. What never gets mentioned is that the first time all four Monkees set foot on Canuck soil was many hours earlier, in Vancouver, while en route to Manitoba’s capital city. Top 50 radio station CFUN assigned two deejays—Terry David Mulligan and John Tanner—to meet Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork at Vancouver International Airport. A photo op ensued in a private waiting area as the lads waited, shortly after sunrise, to board a connecting flight. 'If you study that picture, you could tell two of the guys (Davy and Peter) were really into it and the other two (Micky and Mike) didn’t really want to be there,' recalls Mulligan (second from right in photo). 'They weren’t pissed off at us. They were just tired and weren’t particularly into having their picture taken that early in the morning.' Nevertheless, all six exchanged pleasantries. Despite the early hour, Davy Jones seemed friendly and 'Mike Nesmith was so whip smart, while Micky Dolenz had this interesting Hollywood vibe about him,' remembers Mulligan. Terry and Peter got the opportunity to renew acquaintances. The previous year, when Mulligan was spinning discs at CJME Regina, 'who should walk in but Peter Tork. Of course, I asked: "What are YOU doing here?" And Peter answered: "My dad (Halsten John Thorkelson) teaches at the University of Saskatchewan and I dig your radio program."' Peter would take a couple of additional breaks from Monkees commitments to visit his family. Each time, he’d visit Mulligan at CJME. 'We’d always have really good off-air chats, in between as I was playing records.' For his part, CFUN deejay John Tanner (second from left in photo) boarded the plane bound for Winnipeg with The Monkees. 'I remember being at the tail of the plane while The Monkees and their entourage were much further forward. I walked up there at one point and noticed some of them were sleeping. So I went back to my seat as I didn’t want to bother anyone.' Prior to the late afternoon Monkees concert at the Winnipeg Arena, Tanner said he killed some time walking 'what seemed to be the coldest streets in Winnipeg.' Indeed, band insider David Price would mention the frigid 17 degrees Fahrenheit daytime temperature when he subsequently wrote a four-page article titled My Life With The Monkees—That Wild Canadian Weekend for 16 magazine that detailed the April 1 concert in Winnipeg and the ensuing show in Toronto on April 2. Price, who also served as a decoy for Davy Jones (in addition to other band duties), claimed The Monkees came to Canada aware of rumours that attempts might be made on their lives during the two concerts. In the 16 magazine piece, Price wrote: 'Mike asked me and his friend Charlie Rockett and Mike’s wife Phyllis’s brother Bruce Barbour to make sure that any packages that landed onstage were thrown off again, because one of them might contain a bomb.' In the end, the only ‘bomb’ at the Winnipeg show was a water bomb hurled at Micky Dolenz atop the seven-foot high stage just before opening song Last Train To Clarksville. Seconds before, the four Monkees burst out of phoney amplifiers on either side of the stage, with the boys having hidden themselves within when the house lights were momentarily turned off. Likely backing up The Monkees onstage was Candy Store Prophets. If so, that band’s members—including guitarist Tommy Boyce and keyboardist Bobby Hart—had played on many early Monkees studio tracks that Boyce and Hart produced. Winnipeg-based Electric Jug & Blues band opened the show. Press reports later revealed that before the concert, rambunctious fans charged past about 30 police officers as the band left the Hotel Fort Garry for the arena. Monkees publicist Don Berrigan described the incident as a 'near riot' adding 'Mike and Davy were knocked down. It was really nasty.' There were apparently well over 400 police and security inside the arena. Perhaps it was the security concerns that resulted in Winnipeg and Toronto fans receiving slightly shorter concerts than about a dozen previous American shows in late 1966 and early ‘67—13-song setlists, three less than south of the border. The Winnipeg concert marked the first time Peter Tork-sung Your Auntie Grizelda, was played publicly. 'He really dug it, and so did the audience,' wrote Price. [...] Back in Winnipeg, after final song I’m A Believer, the band rushed to limos to return to the hotel, before taking an evening flight to Toronto. A subsequent Canadian Press article noted that one policeman was taken to hospital after a wire retaining fence collapsed on him when 'thousands of fans surged towards the rear exits in an unsuccessful bid to catch a glimpse of their departing idols.' The officer was treated for cuts and abrasions and released. The official capacity of Winnipeg Arena was 11,800. But Price claimed that several hundred additional tickets were sold just before showtime, resulting in an attendance closer to 12,500. Later that Saturday night, The Monkees checked out of the hotel and headed to the airport in what Price described as near-blizzard conditions. For his part, CFUN deejay John Tanner got a kick out of the 'wild and crazy' show he had just witnessed. 'It was kind of a thrill being there.' The photo taken back in Vancouver earlier that day would be published in the April 8 copy of the C-FUNTASTIC FIFTY survey given away at Greater Vancouver record stores. Part of the photo ID read 'They said it couldn’t be done' — likely a veiled reference to doubts that The Monkees would trek north for concerts so soon into their existence.” - Richard Skelly, Facebook, April 1, 2022 [x]