I used to love the way Davy would get suspicious or confused, scrunch up his adorable little English face, and ask “Whatchoo talkin’ bout, Willis?” Plus, guitar players are a dime a dozen, but how often do you have a guy who can play both the tambourine AND the maracas?
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the songs. Davy Jones was the lead singer on virtually all of the hit songs: Daydream Believer, Valleri, I’m a Believer, etc..
Surely this had some impact on his popularity.
That’s it, in a nutshell.
Mickey was the lead on I’m a Believer, wasn’t he?
Lead Singer breakdown of Top 40 Hits:
Micky Dolenz
Last Train to Clarksville (#1)
I’m a Believer (#1)
The Girl I Knew Somewhere (#20)
Pleasant Valley Sunday (#3)
Words (#11)
D.W. Washburn (#34)
Davy Jones
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You (#2)
Daydream Believer (#1)
Valleri (#3)
Mike Nesmith
Tapioca Tundra (#34)
Micky sang “I’m A Believer”, as well as these hits and well-known songs:
Theme From
Saturday’s Child
Gonna Buy Me A Dog
Last Train To Clarksville
(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone
Mary Mary
No Time
Randy Scouse Git
For Pete’s Sake
Pleasant Valley Sunday
The Porpoise Song
As We Go Along
All Of Your Toys
Daily Nightly
The hits on which Davy sang are… the two you listed. He did really nice work on “Early Morning Blues And Greens” and “Forget That Girl” on Headquarters, but according to averages, it seems Micky Dolenz was just about the de facto lead singer of The Monkees.
Micky was cast as the lead singer. His was the voice on the first big hits, “Last Train to Clarksville” and “I’m a Believer.” I think he sang lead on almost all the songs on the first two albums not written by Mike. Davy may have had one or two, but so did Peter.
After the program started airing, the producers noticed the huge reaction to Davy and so started to feature him more as the lead singer. Also Davy - the one under contract before the show even started - wasn’t an active part of Mike’s rebellion against the producers. On at least one occasion, he came in to sing lead on a song the rest of them didn’t know about. (Don’t make me go through my Monkees books to look for the title. Yes, books. I have more than one. :o )
IIRC, Davy’s shortness was more of a problem for the show than a boon, because they would only cast girls opposite him who were shorter than he was. In an era in which the tall surfer girl look was in, there was a shortage, so to speak, of actresses that were five foot two, eyes of blue.
Elephant Parts also won the very first Grammy for Long-form Video.
Which one wore the stocking cap?
If you listen to Daydream Believer (you don’t even have to listen closely) you’ll notice that Davy’s overdubbed voice is the ONLY one on the song. That came during “Mike’s rebellion.”
The legend is that after the other three decided to strike – or protest, or rebel, or blow the whistle, or whatever the hell they did – the producers went to Davy and told him if he didn’t record the song, they’d tear up his contract, he’d lose his green card and be sent back to England. The producers had more clout over Davy than the other three, and they used it.
Of course, Davy got his vocal on a #1 song.
Both Nesmith and Tork were quoted as saying “Micky should have fronted the band.” Instead, he was cast as the drummer. The managers, not being dumb, used a real drummer when the band performed live, and did indeed have Micky out front as lead singer.
More a watch cap – Mike Nesmith.
Well now, I stand corrected. Mickey was the main lead singer.
Ignorance has lost yet another battle here at battlefield Dope! The war, unfortunately, still rages on however. 
And to think, all these years I thought Davy sang lead on I’m a Believer! :smack:
I agree with the “Daydream Believer” part of your post, but not this.
The whole point of the 1967 tour was to prove that the band was a band and could play its own songs. No way would they have used a ringer as a drummer.
What you may be thinking of is that each of the Monkees would do a specialty act solo number during the middle of the concert. Micky did a sort of James Brown parody, complete with cape and falling to his knees. During this break only the featured Monkee was on stage and Bobby Hart’s backup band would come out and play the accompanying music. When the full band was on stage playing Monkees’ originals, however, it was just the four of them.
On the reunion tours, when this was no longer an issue, yes, Micky spent all his time except for a specialty number or two out front singing. But not back in the heyday.
I believe your recollection is more accurate than mine. My memory has Mickey playing the drums on the first couple of songs, then coming out front for the rest of the concert. However, my memory also recalls the Monkees introducing Boyce and Hart to the audience, so that was probably post-1967.
But the Monkees did play as a band for more than just the one concert tour in 1967, didn’t they? I thought they toured as late as 1969.
Everybody with the lists of who sang lead on which song makes me wonder why nobody seems to remember Davy on this one.
Because we have all successfully repressed the memory. At least until now.
“I waaaanna beeee freeeeeeee!
Don’t say you love me, say you liiiiiiiiiiiike me . . .”
AAAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEE!!! My ears!!
The movie about the Monkees, Daydream Believers, was so-so, but occasionally VH1 airs an edited version that’s redone with their “Pop Up Video” style. The trivia and background info given in that one is fantastic, well worth watching if you can find it through Tivo.