The Monkees Head And The 60s

How has a group conceived as a short-lived commodity outlived many more 'real' bands by nearly fifty years? Why are The Monkees still important, and what does this tell us about their music, their TV show, and our understanding of popular culture today? Despite being built in Hollywood, and not necessarily to last, that is precisely what their music, TV, and cinematic output has done. They in many ways unique--as the first 'made for TV' band, their success introduced methods of marketing pop that have since become standard industry practice; their 'big screen' use of film and images in live performance is likewise now a firmly established principle of concert staging; and in the way they changed the rules of the game, taking control over their own affairs at the height of the success, risking magnificent failure by doing so. The Monkees invented a new kind of TV, gave a new model to the music industry, and left behind one of the most enigmatic movies of the modern era, Head. This book is about all that and more. Beginning by exploring the origins and personalities of the four Monkees before looking in depth at their work together on screen, on stage, and on record, The Monkees, Head, and the 60s is the first serious study of the band and the first to fully acknowledge their importance to the development of pop as we now know it. “Jack Nicholson actually brought the book to my attention. Since neither of us are inclined to read books talking about ourselves - or for that matter about the movie world - I was surprised with this one. Peter Mills began as a musician, so his appreciation of The Monkees both as phenomenon and critic is well-founded. The Monkee history is astonishing. As for “Head”, no one has so thoughtfully elaborated on its meaning. The movie is elusive. But not to him or anyone who reads the book. And that includes me.” - Bob Rafelson (creator of The Monkees / director of “Head”)

A day-by-day look at the years from 1965 to 1970 reveals the remarkably rich story of the Monkees, one of the most successful pop bands of the 1960s. The Monkees' immensely popular television series began in 1966. It was immediately followed by a remarkable four consecutive Number 1 albums and six Top 10 singles. In the 1980s the Monkees reached an entirely new audience when MTV began re-running the TV show. Their cult status remains solid today as critics reassess their music and new fans discover the show. Follow the band's short but explosive career in this examination that includes exclusive interviews with each member of the group, details of recording sessions, filming commitments, concert performances, other public appearances, and over 100 photographs and illustrations.

A hit television show about a fictitious rock band, The Monkees (1966–1968) earned two Emmys—Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy. Capitalizing on the show’s success, the actual band formed by the actors, at their peak, sold more albums than The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined, and set the stage for other musical TV characters from The Partridge Family to Hannah Montana. In the late 1980s, the Monkees began a series of reunion tours that continued into their 50th anniversary. This book tells the story of The Monkees and how the show changed television, introducing a new generation to the fourth-wall-breaking slapstick created by Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers. Its creators contributed to the innovative film and television of 1970s with projects like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laugh-In and Welcome Back, Kotter. Immense profits from the show, its music and its merchandising funded the producers’ move into films such as Head, Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces.

In fascinating, star-studded anecdotes, original Monkee Mickey Dolenz takes readers from his starring role at age 12 as TVs Circus Boy to the open casting call that brought the Monkees together, through the creative conflicts that finally drove them apart.

Hey! Hey! Its the untold story of The Monkees "Wool-hat" Michael Nesmith with the behind the scenes scoop about touring with Jimi Hendrix, filmmaking with Jack Nicholson and so much more. Also detailed is his invention of MTV and his mother Bette who invented Liquid Paper. This 2005 Revised edition features two updated chapters and additional photos (176 total photos). 300 pages.

“Here we come. Walking down the street. We get the funniest looks from everyone we meet. Hey, hey, we’re The Monkees!” The idea of creating a tv series about a wacky rock group similar to The Beatles had been unsuccessfully kicked around Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures since 1962, but by 1965, The Beatles were on their second tour, and their Help! album, single, and tour created a popularity wave called Beatlemania. The enormous success of their A Hard Day’s Night album and single convinced Screen Gems to green light the tv series idea, and The Monkees were born. A fake band seemed odd in the real world still reeling from race riots, John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and the Vietnam War, but delightful Davy Jones, peppy Peter Tork, madcap Micky Dolenz, and comparatively serious Michael Nesmith were too busy singing to bring anybody down. Fake became steak by late 1966, and with help from super musicians Tommy Boyce, Bobby Bart, Neil Diamond, Chip Douglas, Carole King, John Stewart, and others, the series skyrocketed to hit status along with #1 music albums and hit singles, such as “The Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone,” and “I’m a Believer.” Authors Michael A. Ventrella and Mark Arnold now analyze all The Monkee’s songs and albums produced over 50 years. Discover the band’s detailed history, a listing of all live performances and TV appearances, and a listing of all of their singles and albums that made the Billboard charts. Come and watch them sing and play. Discover the secrets of their recordings: which of The Monkees played what instruments on each song, when it was recorded, how well that song did on the charts, whether there were any interesting cover versions of the song done, and when it first appeared on a record. Profusely illustrated with album covers, single covers, live performance pictures, and trivia pictures. Index. About author Mark Arnold: a well-known historian of pop culture, he is also author of The Best of the Harveyville Fun Times!; Created and Produced by Total TeleVision productions; Mark Arnold Picks on The Beatles; Frozen in Ice: The Story of Walt Disney Productions; Think Pink: The Story of DePatie-Freleng; Pocket Full of Dennis the Menace About author Michael A. Ventrella: a musician, who was tremendously inspired by The Monkees, has published or edited Arch Enemies; The Axes of Evil; Bloodsuckers: A Vampire Runs for President; and the Tales of Fortannis series.

The “beautifully written” (The New York Times) autobiography of Michael Nesmith, from his star-making role on The Monkees and his invention of the music video to his critical contributions to movies, comedy, and the world of virtual reality “Reads like the chronicle of a relentless seeker.”—Los Angeles Times Michael Nesmith’s eclectic, electric life spanned his star-making role on The Monkees, his invention of the music video, and his critical contributions to movies, comedy, and the world of virtual reality. But above all, his is a seeker’s story, a pilgrimage in search of a set of principles to live by. That search took Nesmith from a childhood in Dallas to the set of The Monkees in Los Angeles to the heart of swinging London with John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix. This funny, thoughtful, self-aware book is a window into an unexpected life, inflected at every turn by the surprising candor and absurdist humor of an American original.

Photographs and text tell the Monkees story as each of the band members recalls the formation of the group, their two-year television show, and their subsequent reunions and individual careers