Back in the 60s

[Baked Potato]

I watched the Monkees and I thought they were Teeny Bopper versions of the Beatles.

Now, I really enjoy watching the Monkees on TV. The humor was there and they knew it was hokey-dokey. Some of their music was Avant Garde at the time but I was a little too young to know it. I would have liked to party with them, now.

[tblue37]

1. I was a big Monkees fan back then. nt

[Baked Potato]

2. That's good!

They were good times when things were pretty bad, with the war and all.

[mopinko]

3. mickey dolenz is still out there playing.

a local guitar player that i know opened for him in st charles, il a couple weeks ago.

[Baked Potato]

4. Man, that's awesome!

We saw Mickey at Disney’s California Adventure about 10-12 years ago. It was a good jam and he was telling jokes. Good times!

[mopinko]

8. me friend said it was a great little gig.

[Brother Buzz]

10. Micky Dolenz, an accomplished guitar player before the Monkees...

became a respectable drummer after being coached by some of the best drummers in the business, including Earl Palmer who laid down all the drum tracks on the Monkees music.

Dolenz, was a natural right hander but played a left handed drum kit

Micky had Perthes disease as a child. It affected his right leg and hip, leaving the leg weak and an inch shorter than the right. When he tried to play full right-handed, he wound up in considerable pain from playing the kick drum. He was still early enough in his learning drums that his teacher set the kit up left handed and he leaned to play right handed, but left footed.

Juxtaposition, Ringo Star was a natural left hander, but played a right handed drum kit. Go figure.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

5. Card carrying member of the Davy Jones fan club here!

(I only joined because you got so much stuff. My fave Monkee was always Peter, but Davy was a close second.)

I try to catch the show when it airs on MeTV on Sunday. It's really bittersweet though since my two faves are gone, and I'm over 50 years older than I was when I used to be excited about watching it on Monday nights. But the music doesn't age! The Monkees had so many good songs, and they still sound good!

[Baked Potato]

7. Hey, that's cool! We were watching them this morning

On “FeTV”, just found it on cable. They are showing like 4 episodes today. We were watching on MeTV too. I know, can’t believe Peter is gone now too.

[Hotler]

6. Watching the Monkeys is how I learned to play air guitar. nt

[Wounded Bear]

9. Their best trait was that they never took themselves too seriously...

so it was always a "just for fun" watch.

[Brother Buzz]

11. Peter Tork was totally serious until he was hipped to what was going on

[Baked Potato]

13. Good interview

Thanks!

[Baked Potato]

12. Yes!

[LeftInTX]

14. When Bobby Sherman invaded the Monkees

[Baked Potato]

17. Thanks!

[Doc_Technical]

15. One of the first songs to use the Moog synthesizer

[Baked Potato]

16. That's the Avant Garde

I was talking about. I like it. Saw the episode recently where they did this one at the end. They were really trying to be real musicians and part of the scene. It kind of reminds me of The Beach Boys when they moved away from beach music to more heady stuff, like in Pet Sounds. I’m interested in early Mellotron use, too. Thanks.

[Brother Buzz]

18. I did not know that. Nesmith wrote the song BUT Micky Dolenz did the vocals AND

operated the Moog synthesizer, his own machine.



Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees talks about using the Moog modular synthesizer on Daily Nightly, above, the first pop recording to use the synthesizer:

"Ahh, my little Moog synthesizer," said Dolenz. "It was actually a pretty difficult thing to use," he said, recalling how those first-generation synthesizers had to be physically rewired for every different sound the musician might want to use.

"I threw a party for John Lennon one night, and he sat there at the Moog for four hours making flying saucer sounds. It was great for flying saucer sounds."

"I sold it to Bobby Sherman," adds Dolenz. "I think he still has it."