All this talk about Head, yet not one mention that it was originally conceived and shot as a looped movie, to be played over and over, 24 hours a day. The original concept (Mike’s) was to have a movie that anyone could walk into at any point, and see it come around full circle.
Of course, when it was released, no theaters wanted to show it 24 hours. Apparently, Mike was pretty pissed about it all.
Hello! I too, am a huge fan. When I was about 10 years old (1n 1982), my mom had some of their records that my girlfriend and I used to lip sync to, and we loved to watch their show. I believe it was on Channel 32 in Chicago before it became FOX, (or was it Channel 66 before it disappeared?). Then MTV aired their shows and thus began a whole new wave of fans.
I have seen Davy Jones in a Brady Bunch stage show where actors acted out various episodes. The show I got to see was the one where Marcia wants Davy to sing at her prom. About one year later, I saw Davy and Micky perform at the same place. I have pics of me with both, but not scanned.
It’s a tie between Micky and Mike as my favorite. Songs I like the most are Mary, Mary, She, Goin Down, Papa Gene’s Blues, Randy Souse Git, I’m a Believer, Some of Shelley’s Blues, oh hell, pretty much all of them.
The best part of being a Monkees fan is that I can show my 4 year old son the way. We have all the episodes on tape (from Columbia House video club) and he loves to watch them. He also listens to the first CD (the red one with Davy on it) from the Listen to the Band Rhino set before he goes to sleep.
Anyone can e-mail me if you want to get into anything deeper.
Persephone, I just noticed you asked about my puppet in the other thread. My sister bought it for me on ebay a couple of years ago for my birthday. He is a picture of someone else’s puppet. Mine doesn’t have the pull string though, and I’m not sure if it ever did.
I’ve been a Monkees fan since childhood. I remember watching it first time around…and second…and third…
At various times, all have been my favorites, although Mike hase been way out in the lead for a couple decades now. “Elephant Parts” and “Dr. Duck’s Secret Sauce” keep him firmly in the lead (Nuclear Neighborhood Superiority or Little House on the Freeway, anyone?) (BTW, if anyone knows how to get a copy of Dr. Ducks, please let me know. It’s one of two videos I’ve been seeking for years now, the other being Spike Lee’s A Capella from sometime in the late '80’s)
Um, “Last Train to Clarksville”, “I’m a Believer” and “Auntie Griselda” are my favorite songs, and the episode featuring the latter is my favorite episode.
DOH CHEEKY MONKEYS!!!
Wow, all these fans, and nobody has mentioned that it is both Mike and Daveys’ birthday today. Maybe yesterday.
When I first started liking them I took over all my moms’ albums.
I recorded Head, but never got to see it since it didn’t tape right! That sucked so bad.
Oh wow. Finally a place to express my Monkee love. (Jester says that sounds “wrong” but what does he know about the gods of music?)
I guess I’m the only one who loves Davy. (Btw, his audition tape is sooo cute.) And his birthday’s on the 30th, so two more days. I guess in England, his birthday will be sooner.
Peter was on Boy Meets World too? Oh man I HAVE to start watching. Davy was on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, too, wasn’t he? I know he was on the Brady Bunch. I even remember seeing part of that episode. Unfortuantely, I didn’t know who Davy was back then. I’ve always resented Marcia for being able to meet him. (I love him so much more than she does!!)
Ok since everyone else is naming their fave songs.
Mine are…
Daydream Believer, I’m a Believer, Last Train to Clarksville, The Monkees Theme, Words, Heart and Soul, That Was Then; This is Now.
Like’em a lot.
I think what clinched it for me was at one point several years ago when I was regularly listening to the oldies stations; I had originally thought that they were by and large a bubblegum band. Then a friend pointed out that there was a bit of scathing social commentary in ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’.
‘Valerie’ is nice too.
Ah, depth AND breadth… the Monkees have it all.
Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I may just have to go purchase that one for myself. I went on a buying spree several months ago and bought a bunch of the CD reissues. Extra tracks and the like. The only problem is, when I have 3 of them in my 3 CD player, I don’t remember which is which when I go to put them away since there’s just a picture of the guys on the CD… no words, no nothin’ Ah well, can’t complain too much. Got 'em for a good price.
I used to have a tape of 6 hours worth of eps (my favorite is The Devil and Peter Tork… anyone else wanna speak up with theirs?) from back when it was on Nick, but it’s been watched so much that I get nothing but snow. It even had an ep of My Two Dads in which Davy appeared. Every once in awhile, I pull it out and peer through the snow, and try to relive the episodes again…
TruePisces
Thank you Zoggie! I knew their birthday was sometime this week. I read it in the paper the other day and thought it was pretty cool that they had the same birthday. I just thought it was sooner than later.
Hehe no problem.
My fave ep? I’ve only seen a few, mind you. I like the Chinese restaurant one. “No…we’re just taking this home for the dog we don’t have.” Sure a bit…uh, racist by today’s standards, but it its the first i’ve ever seen. I also like when they all have a crush on April. And when they all go down south and nearly get killed by the hillbillies.
I have to see more, sigh.
I was on a website that said the Monkees Behind the Music and Daydream Believers: The Monkees Story, would be on this weekend on VH1…Anyone else hear this?
The behind the music was on the other day…I think VH1 was doing a marathon of them.
My fave episode is Monkees on the wheel, when they go to vegas and there’s della the decoy and at the end they do the whole “groovy button” bit 
The child actor, who has only one other acting credit to his name according to IMDB, was Joey Baio as Junior Pintar {no idea if he’s related to the better known Baio brothers, Scott & Jimmy). The episode and kid’s show (and host) is Captain Crocodile, the actor (Joey Forman) portraying the show host is also in the “Monkees Chow Mein” episode which also features MAS*H’s Korean war veteran, Mike Farrell. Other notable guests include Rose Marie, Vic Tayback (Mel of Mel’s Diner/Alice), Ruth Buzzi, Rip Taylor, Liberace, Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster), Harvey Lembeck (Eric Von Zipper from those beach movies), well-known character actors R/Dick Kiel and Vito Scotti, Bobby Sherman and as stated previously Tim Buckley and Frank Zappa (who actually did tags or lead-ins.
Just for more useless (or useful depending on your perspective) trivia, Davy appeared on two episodes of My Two Dad’s playing Joey’s (Greg Evigan) “mate” Malcolm who was a successful musician. One of the episodes was “Fallen Idol” and included Peter Noone as Malcolm’s manager/handler, I believe. I have his appearance on the Single Guy on tape, Micky’s appearance on the drama series Mike Hammer as a questionable PI, and Peter’s cameo on Wings (when Helen tries to buy the Monkeemobile at an auction). A friend was also kind enough to send me a tape of a number of smaller and earlier guest appearances by Peter on shows like The Uncle Floyd Show and The Mike & Matty Show.
Cheers!
Don’t forget a few years ago, on the first season of “Pacific Blue” (the beach bicycle cops show on USA network) Micky played himself as the mayor of LA.
My ignorance concerning background data Monkeeish has certainly been successfully fought. I had always enjoyed them, though not a fan to the extent Peta and the many of you are. (Favorite song: “Daydream Believer”)
BTW, there is an absolutely fascinating trivia factoid about the provenance of “Last Train to Clarksville” which has made a successful escape from the dusty file drawers of my memory over the past 25 years or so. Anybody happen to know it? “The song was based on…” – that sort of thing.
Oh, and one quick question – Peta posted:
Either an errant comma crawled into this post while you weren’t looking, or Peter is even more accomplished an actor than I would have thought! 
haha
IIRC, Clarksville was a major “shipping out” point during the Veit Nam war and the song is from a young soldier to his girlfriend imploring her to meet him one last time before he leaves.
Yep, old Monkees fan checking in. I was in the fifth grade when the group first formed (age showing). I still have some old memorobilia in the attic, including autographed pics and a complete set of bubble gum cards with a jigsaw puzzle of the group on the back. Wander if it would bring anything on e-Bay?
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Yes, some…um…misplaced words or commas there. I meant, of course, that Peter portrayed Jedediah, the father of Topanga, who is Cory’s girlfriend.
And of course, Peter has also appeared (and been taped on) Seventh Heaven and The List in recent years and in the early 1990s ('92 to be precise) he played a surfing-guru for a show called California Dreams, an episode I’ve seen but unfortunately never captured on tape.
One other clarification, when I mentioned Peter being on Boy Meets World first, I meant that he was the first of the three Monkees to appear on the show (Micky and Davy did appear on a later episode with Peter reprising his role as Topanga’s father).
For those interested…here is a production still from their appearance in the episode “Rave On” from Boy Meets World and this is a publicity still of Peter and Cory from his first appearance.
Cheers!
::stands up, shuffles feet, blushes::
I’ve always been a Monkees fan. I’ve rarely admitted that before in public, because when I do, people scream, “They’re saccharine Beatles rip-offs! They’re bubble gum pop! They don’t play their instruments!” I can’t tell you what shame I’ve experienced. There were times when I felt that my love for the Monkees was actually an affliction, rather than a blessing.
In fact, due to my fear of the persecution of others, I have never seen the show, never seen any of the movies (there were Monkees movies? Who knew?), and never heard any of the albums. My enjoyment of the Monkees was confined to furtive, solitary hours listening to oldies rock stations, hoping that “Daydream Believer” or “Last Train to Clarksville” to come on.
But thanks to this thread, my days of shame are over! I love the Monkees and I’m proud of it! Thank you all!
