European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 24, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Peter Tork left Davy Norw Michael Neimi and Mickey Cohen on stage in los Angela. Hey hey they re the monkeys again up phom by Richard Harrington the Washington Post he in first album event to no. 1. So did heir second third and fourth. At one Point they held me two lop spots on the album Char is. In 18 months they had three no. 1 singles two no. 2s, iwo no. 3s Nina top 20 songs in All. In 1967 they sold 35 million albums twice As Many As the sea lies and rolling stones combined. Tours attracted screaming fans merchandise vow out the door. The word mania was invoked though it beamed a Tad same. Hey. Hey. They bib the Montees Rock s first cathode Ray Tut e babies. And hey hey they re the monkeys again. Twenty years past their television Dob and 17 years Al or breaking up Davy Jones Mickey Dolenz and Peler Tork Are Louring again to sold Oul concerns i 100 cities. Michael Nesmith who is Active in film and video production declined the reunion. Nesmith joined the threesome for a Surprise. Appearance in toe Angeles sept. 7. In february mtg ran 45 Montees episodes consecutively. In subsequent months. Episodes stalled showing up twice then three times a Day. Another Cable network Nickelodeon plans to air the show this on is evening Block of 60s programs and other stations around the country Ara already showing it. All the original monkeys albums have been reissued or Rhino records a greatest hits package is Back on the charts and just went Gold. And the concerts have been Selling Oul As close to instantly As Une could expect from a group that had t been together for almost a generation. It s a whole new generation Golem noted recently. We took a one generation television has apparently Leoze Frame j the monkeys at a Point in time and consciousness where they Are. And Wilt be forever 20 though Jones in fact is 40, Dolenz 4 and Tork 44. But Many of their new fans weren t even born Whan the group split up. It s very strange to have mothers and daughters lighting Lor our autographs admits Dolenz. Who has carved out a successful career in the British film Industry Over the Las t decade. Peter and Davy have toured in Australia and Japan so they re used to to but i had t stood on a stage in years. I let very Selt conscious with All these people seeking at me. I could t remember How to move my hands or How to dance and i could hardly remember How to they d had to learn those things 20 years earlier of course created Tor and by television the monkeys Only gradually became the stars they started out mimicking. Page 16 the stars and stripes but theirs is also a Story about identity creative control Media manipulation and Tho pingpong effects hat occur when those forces Cash. That was then and this is now however. And like so Many things from the 60s. The monkeys Are Back with no vengeance though gelling them together for f so concerts was a bit of Challenge. Over the years others have tried but there was t availability or interest or the economics weren t right says Dolenz. Who remains he most outgoing Monkey. He d always said any reunion would Cost a lot of Money apparently the string of sellouts has insured that this hurdle was cleared. But what ready lipped the scale he says was Tho possibility of doing another monkeys if they do it might go something like this once upon a time in 1965, two Sharp Young producers were looking to television As an entry Point to film making. Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider operating As Waybert persuaded screen gems to bankroll a Pilot about the Zany adventures of four Long haired Rock n rollers. It did t Hurt that Schneider s Lal Hei was president of Columbia pictures which owned screen gems the idea for the show was rooted in Richard Lester s two classic beatles films. A hard Day s Nigil and help a. U Al first thought was Given to building he show around an existing pop group the lovin spoonful instead a simple audition notice ran in daily auditions Folh & Rock musicians singers running parts for 4 insane boys Ages 17-25 want spirited Ben Frank s types have courage to work must come Down for interview eventually 437 of them showed up including Stephen s tills Paul Williams and Rumor has it Charles Man sort. As it turned out. Only one of the future monkeys Michael Nesmith a texan who d worked in various los Angeles bands saw the Larievy notice Tork born Thorkelson. In Washington was a Friend of stills who told him about the audition. Jones who was already under contract of screen gems had started acting in England at the age of 11 he d come to America at 161o play the artful dodger in the Broadway run of Oliver and eventually headed to Hollywood. And Dolenti who Learned of the auditions from his agent had a similarly Long career behind him. The son of an actor he d starred at 10 in the to series circus boy and like Jones was Busy doing guest Shota on various series. This show was to be different not Only was it one of the first Lamity sitcoms lacking a father figure but the wednesday september 24,1986 charade s would use their real names ii not their real personalities. Aft Tir settling on to raw materials two actors and two musicians Rafelson and Schneider went directly into the manufacturing of Iho monkeys. One of their first decisions was to use outside songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. Tho list of Monkres songwriters would eventually include Neil Diamond David Gates Neil Sedaka Carole Bayer now Sago Carole King Gerry coffin Ana Jeff Barry though to their credit the Montees refused to sing Barry s sugar. Sugar. Raybert also decided to use studio musicians to cover for the monkeys a weapon Laleff used by critics to bludgeon the group. The first episode ran on Abc monday sept. 12. 1966, slotted against another teen favorite Guffigan s Island although it would win an emmy Lor Best comedy series the monkeys initial f Catinga wore not As impressive As Iho reviews. They Wei Ejust the Basic sort of stories that had been done before by Iho bowery boys and the Marx Brothers says Davy Jones who was almost always the show s romantic Lead. Generic plot synopsis Davy meets girl monkeys sing song Davy loses girl monkeys sing song. The series any Good natured and technically Snappy was the match that ignited Monke emania. The group s first single task train . Which had been Selling respectably before the show look off like a shot. The monkeys debut album released Iho same Day As their first show sold 3 Wilton copies in iwo months which was faster than the beatles first album had sold. It also head the no. 1 spot for 13 straight weeks a record thai blood for 16 years until men at work went to work. Overnight four previously unknown Young men were stars. Soon it did t make much difference whether it was television records concerns or merchandise like Mike s Wool hat Peter s love beads Mickey s lunch pail or Davy s Princess phone America s teeny toppers could t get enough. Abc was getting 50,000 letters a week. In England a Young British musician had to change his name from David Jones to David Bowie. It did t take Long Lor the brickbats to Start flying particularly when it became obvious that he monkeys in the heyday of Tho Singer songwriter were barely involved in their own music. But even though the critics dismissed them As an Over hyped rip off the prefab fourth monkeys Young fans genuinely saw them As America s beatles we never had particular. David and i did t want control says Dolenz. A were actors performers so we were very pleased to be directed. But Mike and Peter were dedicated musicians and it did Wear on evenly Fly the monkeys won he right to perform their own compositions. Maybe the tension was part of i,"doen2 concedes. The Powers hat be Al Ria and Columbia and Abc and Raybert were always frying to control the music. They wanted rotate thai would reach a very wide demographic which by Del Nillon Means it has to be simple melodic Middle american not too. some of the monkeys pop songs stand up Well today i m a believer last train to Clarksville daydream believer. I m not your stepptn1 Stone. The last is still one of the Tunas Rock bands a a weaned on
