5.23am
18 November 2011
Which Beatles songs do you think had the most effect on the Monkees sound? Not necessarily direct inspiration (i.e. Paperback Writer /Last Train To Clarksville) but rather what “vibe” the Monkees (Or rather Boyce/Hart and the Wrecking Crew, if you’re gonna be that way about it) were going for?
I nominate two…
7.58am
20 January 2012
Every time I listen to I Wanna Be Free (version 1) , it Reminds me of Blackbird .Though The Monkees work was written first in 1966 .
...They've forgotten all about God
He's the only reason we exist...
11.29pm
21 November 2012
9.17pm
19 April 2010
3.28pm
1 December 2009
“Daily Nightly” has a spooky drone and a filtered vocal that’s constantly interrupted by whooshing and bleeping electronic noises created by a newfangled Moog synthesizer (Monkees being supposedly the first rock band ever to record with a Moog) and is pretty clearly indebted to “Tomorrow Never Knows “.
In fact, the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. album is very much the Monkees’ answer to Revolver , albeit a year late and not as adventurous or consistent.
But I don’t really think there’s any one Beatles song that the Monkees used as a template for their “sound”. Just like the Beatles, the Monkees (and their producers) had many different approaches, trying whatever had been done successfully before by others. (And occasionally adding a minor innovation of their own, like the Moog.) The trouble was, Monkees didn’t have a John-Paul-George & Ringo – more like a George, a Pete, and half a Paul.
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
3.43pm
14 January 2013
vonbontee said
“Daily Nightly” has a spooky drone and a filtered vocal that’s constantly interrupted by whooshing and bleeping electronic noises created by a newfangled Moog synthesizer (Monkees being supposedly the first rock band ever to record with a Moog) and is pretty clearly indebted to “Tomorrow Never Knows “.
In fact, the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. album is very much the Monkees’ answer to Revolver , albeit a year late and not as adventurous or consistent.But I don’t really think there’s any one Beatles song that the Monkees used as a template for their “sound”. Just like the Beatles, the Monkees (and their producers) had many different approaches, trying whatever had been done successfully before by others. (And occasionally adding a minor innovation of their own, like the Moog.) The trouble was, Monkees didn’t have a John-Paul-George & Ringo – more like a George, a Pete, and half a Paul.
I’ve listen to The Monkees most of my life like The Beatles, thanks to my mom, but like Vonbontee said, “I don’t really think there’s any one Beatles song that the Monkees used as a template for their ‘sound’. Sure, they drawn inspiration from The Beatles, but there are not any songs from The Monkees that make me think “Now, is from The Beatles!”. There are more bands from the 60s or even now that would make me think that than The Monkees would.
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Von Bontee3.49pm
16 September 2013
The Monkees had a zany tune on their first album called “Gonna Buy Me A Dog.” This song might be considered the Monkees’ answer to “You Know My Name (Look Up The Number), except it came before the Beatles song. Curiously, I met Micky Dolenz a few years ago in a bar, and I mentioned his lead vocal on “Gonna Buy Me A Dog.” Micky looked at me politely but confused, and claimed he didn’t remember such a song at all. So, I quickly changed the subject, filing that incident away as “convenient amnesia.”
3.19am
5 April 2015
The Monkees song Magnolia Simms reminds me of Honey Pie but MS pre dates HP.
3.24am
Reviewers
29 August 2013
For me it’s more their TV show being inspired by A Hard Day’s Night than musical influences.
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9.53am
Moderators
15 February 2015
@vonbontee said
<big snip> The trouble was, Monkees didn’t have a John-Paul-George & Ringo – more like a George, a Pete, and half a Paul.
Are you saying George isn’t as brilliant as the other Beatles or is it that the Monkees did have someone brilliant as George, but only him?
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10.47am
11 November 2010
11.39am
Moderators
15 February 2015
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12.50pm
1 December 2009
Silly Girl said
@vonbontee said
<big snip> The trouble was, Monkees didn’t have a John-Paul-George & Ringo – more like a George, a Pete, and half a Paul.Are you saying George isn’t as brilliant as the other Beatles or is it that the Monkees did have someone brilliant as George, but only him?
Yeah, I’m making a rough comparison of Mike Nesmith to George – he was the main songwriter among the four, and I estimate the total number of songs he wrote for them to be comparable to the number of George’s Beatles songs. But I also don’t believe George was up there with John/Paul. So, both of those things! (But I have to confess that I’m even less familiar with Nesmith’s solo career than George’s, so whaddo I know?)
Also, it’s worth noting that “Last Train to Clarksville” sounds kinda like “Paperback Writer ” but I don’t know if it was directly influenced, unless it was written when the (slightly) earlier song was still on the charts.
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
1.14pm
28 March 2014
Silly Girl said
@vonbontee said
<big snip> The trouble was, Monkees didn’t have a John-Paul-George & Ringo – more like a George, a Pete, and half a Paul.Are you saying George isn’t as brilliant as the other Beatles or is it that the Monkees did have someone brilliant as George, but only him?
Of course George was nowhere near as brilliant as Paul or John. Obviously he wasn’t included in the Lennon/McCartney song credits for a reason.
Do you think he was just as brilliant Silly Girl? I don’t, but think he was by far their best guitarist without a doubt.
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4.15pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Bongo said
Silly Girl said
@vonbontee said
<big snip> The trouble was, Monkees didn’t have a John-Paul-George & Ringo – more like a George, a Pete, and half a Paul.Are you saying George isn’t as brilliant as the other Beatles or is it that the Monkees did have someone brilliant as George, but only him?
Of course George was nowhere near as brilliant as Paul or John. Obviously he wasn’t included in the Lennon/McCartney song credits for a reason.
Do you think he was just as brilliant Silly Girl? I don’t, but think he was by far their best guitarist without a doubt.
He wasn’t included partly because they didn’t want to give him any money?
On Papa Nes – I was a big fan back in the day and saw him live in Brisbane one time; it was a great show.
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5.06pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
If we are looking at influences then, apart from the TV show I already mentioned, film is another more likely influence. I suspect that Head was strongly influenced by Magical Mystery Tour – and is just as much of an indulgent, somewhat enjoyable, oddity and reflection of the times.
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5.52pm
14 December 2009
Yeah, I think “Head” is better than MMT. Even though it recycles the shrinking bit from “Help !”
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6.39pm
17 October 2013
Didn’t Neil Diamond and other assorted songsters write for the Monkees…….Pleasant Valley Sunday was Carol King wasn’t it? So I’m thinking it’s only in production that the Monkees were perhaps made to sound at times like the Beatles.
For me they can stand alone. Some great songs and pretty good vocal performances. Of their time……a superb pastiche, or should that be parody of a four personality Boy Band.
And I’m sure you all know the answer to the Trivial Pursuits teaser……..’Which member of a popular sixties band appeared on the same bill as the Beatles first Ed Sullivan show’ Knowing we are talking Monkees here makes that even easier to answer.
Anyway knaff as they were considered at the time by the music snobs…..I loved ’em and still have some of their songs on my beach walk playlists.
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Beatlebug, vonbontee6.45pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
“And I’m sure you all know the answer to the Trivial Pursuits teaser……..’Which member of a popular sixties band appeared on the same bill as the Beatles first Ed Sullivan show’ Knowing we are talking Monkees here makes that even easier to answer.”
I was just watching the DVD of those shows recently and noticed him in the Oliver! segment.
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10.02pm
10 August 2011
There are a couple of great Monkees trivia questions, another one being “What wild and extraordinary musician briefly opened for the Monkees on their tour?”
This apple goes to the first person to answer. (Anyone over 50 is excluded from the competition.)
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
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