Here they come...

The Monkees in Hall of Fame

Be sure to sign the petition. You can read more here.

Channel 4 ad

The Monkees at Channel 4

Remeber to tune in tomorrow. I can't see it myself, though. Too bad...

Peter Tork

Peter in London

The April-issue of the British Record Collector has a review of the Peter’s concert with Shoe Suede Blues in the 100 Club in London on February 10, 2007. The review is very positive, among other things it says: “The most musically accomplished of the pre-Fabs did his best to engage the audience with his talents. Newer material culled from Cambria Hotel was delivered with humour and consummate professionalism. Tork can easily hold his own and he and his band’s playing was supremely competent.” Nice one!

Alert!

Due to illness this blog will not be updated in the near future. Sorry!

Album cover 

Nez 

Rays

Nez has his new album Rays out by now and he gave a great interview to Jason Silverman at Wired News. You can read it here.
If you want to order the CD just follow the link that says Rays on the page.

Kool Aid Micky 

The Artful Davy 

Michael Blessing 

SS Blue Peter 

You Tube

On You Tube you'll find a lot of Monkees videos, mostly music clips from the series and Kool Aid commercials. But there are also some more quaint things such as 1964 b/w footage of Davy as The Artful Dodger in "Oliver Twist", a 1965 Michael Blessing TV performance and a short interview with Peter regarding the Holy Modal Rounders. My own favourite is Peter singing the blues at the Big Apple Comic Book Convention with his Shoe Suede Blues band. You can also watch a few live performances of the Monkees 1986 (without Nez).

2 songs on the Top 500. Not bad.

Virgin Radio

Virgin Radio recently asked their listeners to vote for the Top 500 songs of all times. The Monkees were represented with 2 songs. I'm A Believer made it to No. 245, Daydream Believer to No. 285.

Daydream Believers cover

Daydream Believers

In 2000 came the $ 5-million movie "Daydream Believers: The Monkees' Story" on The Movie Network in Canada and VH1 in the U.S. The movie was directed by Neill Fearnley and saw actors Aaron Lohr, George Stanchev, Jeff Geddis and L. B. Fisher in the roles of Micky, Davy, Mike and Peter, but it only took the group from the auditions to the end of 1968 before Peter left. The movie was not very accurate. Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider and Jim Frawley were composed into two fictitious characters called "Foreman" and "Harris" and an artificially happy ending was created. Also there was hardly any music in the movie, at least not enough to fill a soundtrack album.
The movie is actually a horror from the start with clumsy introductions to the characters and bad acting, to the end where the movie "forgets" to get back to its frame story. The frame story being a young script writer in the year 1999 who is trying to convince a studio consecutive to make a TV-series about a fictitious band, as he doesn't know that it has all been done before.
It is trying to be "cute", but it has nothing of the charm and wackiness of the real Monkees and even worse, none of the political and satirical undertones.
If you see the movie without knowing the real Monkees it is difficult to understand the popularity of the show. Even the re-acting of scenes from the show is lousy, because of bad acting and lack of charisma from the guys playing the Monkees. The whole dynamics of the Monkees is gone. The troublesome relationship between the four real Monkees was actually a part of that, but the trouble is hardly mentioned. Instead their relationship is turned into a close friendship with no dynamics at all. It is all ever so sweet and ever so phony. But then again, what could be more phony than a remake of the story of the prefab four?
My advice: avoid this movie and have a look at the real thing instead.

Mike from the NNDB

Peter from the NNDB

The NNDB

I just found this weird but rather fun webpage on the net: http://www.nndb.com The NNDB lists all kinds of celebrities in all kinds of cathegories. Here you can see who are vegetarians, who did drugs, who attended which colleges etc. etc. The Monkees are represented (only Mike and Peter with photos, though) and you'll learn all kinds of things about them that are not commonly known. For instance: Micky is an atheist, both Davy's parents died of emphysema, Mike won $ 46 million in the lawsuit where he fought PBS and Peter's sister is an attorney. Check it out.

Peter from "Exposed" 

Micky from "Exposed" 

Davy from "Exposed" 

The Monkees Exposed

Six years ago Australian Ten Network aired a Video Hits special presentation called "The Monkees Exposed". The program ran 45 minutes and was hosted by Leah McLeod. It told the story of the Monkees from 1965 until 1999.
For the program Micky, Peter and Davy were interviewed as well as a lot of other people, among them Monkees historian Gary Strobl, concert promoter David Fishof, author Randi L. Massingill, casting director Eddie Froy III, assistant director Jon Andersen, author Mark J. Bego and Micky and Davy's ex-wives Samantha Juste and Linda Haines.
Unfortunately the program has no new insights into the Monkees, but at least the inaccuracies of their story are only few and minor. The program features many and long clips from the TV-series as well as some rarely seen photo stills and footage.
Although the program leaves out the years from 1988 to 1995, it is one of the better TV-documentaries on the Monkees. Peter is very funny, venting his frustrations about not being able to play on the early albums. Micky is totally frank about the backsides of the music business, and Davy… Well, Davy uses most of his talking-time to backstab Mike. Mike is not there to defend himself, but although he's absent his affair with Nurid Wilde isn't. It is stressed several times, as is the son whom he had with her while being married to Phyllis Barbour. The program is therefor a strange mixture of loyal documentary and yellow press indiscretions, but all in all it is not bad.

The last issue of Monkee Business Fanzine

Finding Monkees info

From June 1977 to June 2002 you could subscribe to the brilliant Monkee fan magazine "Monkee Business Fanzine" edited and published by New Jersey-based Maggie McManus. After 101 issues she had to give up as info flowed so freely on the net that the basis for the magazine dropped.
It was a very basic magazine; 30 to 40 small pages made on Maggie's computer with b/w photos scanned in, but it was excellent! Here you got the latest updates, news & bits, reviews, links, classified ads and much more. In the latter years I made my small contributions to the news & bits and I was greeted by Maggie like a long, lost friend. The woman was amazing and her friendly relationship to the 4 Monkees made her fanzine the best and most thorough on the market.
Today you have to look elsewhere for Monkees info, namely on the Internet. The best place to start is at The Monkees Homepage. Here you'll find updates, all about the Monkees past and present, links, listings of the music and the show etc. etc., in short all the stuff you need. The page sports sites on each of the Monkees as well.
Looking for info on only one Monkee? Don't despair. There are links to sites on the guys on the homepage. Check out the official Micky Dolenz web site, the official Davy Jones web site, the official Peter Tork web site or why not check out Mike Nesmith's Videoranch - his on-line store and virtual world. Finally take a look at Peter's present band The Shoe Suede Blues Band on their site. Includes gigs to come, so you can book in time.

The Nez novel 

The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora

Back in 1998 Michael Nesmith's novel The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora was published. I got a copy, signed of course as Nez is said to have signed every single copy of the book. I've always liked Nesmith's lyrics, so I was curious how he would be as a writer. And let me tell you straight away: Nez is one hell of a writer!
The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora is a partly autobiographical novel about Nez's fascination of the music of fictive blues singer Neftoon Zamora. A fascination that leads him - and the reader - to an adventure in a universe where you don't really know what is true and what is myth, what is fiction and what is reality.
Is Neftoon Zamora not just the inventor of blues-music, but also a primordial god who taught humans about beauty and art at the beginning of time? Is Neftoon Zamora the girl with whom Nez falls in love and who leads him to a secret paradise in New Mexico? Or is Neftoon Zamora just a scam invented by greedy businesspeople in order to sell their products?
The book raises many questions and the story is complex, but one thing is for sure: The Long Sandy Hairs of Neftoon Zamora is one of the best and most surprising novels that I have read in a long time.

Nez signature 

Monkees lunch box 

August

I've been neglecting my Monkees-blog this month, as I have been so busy working with British band Slade, covering their concerts in Denmark. I'll try to do better in September. I don't really have anything on the Monkees right now, so instead I've decided to share this photo of me with my Monkees lunch box. It made it to the front page of Danish paper "Fyens Stiftstidende" on August 27th 2001 in connection with the release of my Monkees book. The paper sported a full page article on it then.

Micky Dolenz, Headquarters Sessions 

Davy Jones, Headquarters Sessions 

Headquarters Sessions

Some years ago I got hold of the Monkees' "Headquarters Sessions" (1995, 1996, 2000) released by the good people at Rhino. It consists of 3 CDs that thoroughly cover the sessions from January 16 to March 30, 1967 that eventually led to "Headquarters" (1967), the first album where the Monkees were finally allowed to play all their instruments themselves. "Headquarters" is often called the Monkees' first album, because session musicians had played a huge part in the making of the 2 previous albums "The Monkees" (1966) and "More of The Monkees" (1967).
"Headquarters Sessions" comes with a booklet telling of the sessions on a day-to-day basis complete with details on format, producer, engineers, location, time, procedure and personal for every single day. Furthermore the booklet has comments on each of the 84 recordings on the CDs.
Most of the recordings are different takes of the 31 songs that ended up on either the finished "Headquarter" album or other albums to come. There are still some tracks left, though, which have never been heard before as well as jams and some informal chat among the Monkees in the studio:

Disc 1, track 1, "She's So Far Out, She's In"
Written by Thomas Baker Knight. No vocals on this, but when the Monkees performed it in concert it was Mike who was on vocals. Teen sensations Dino, Desi and Billy also cut this song.
Disc 1, track 20, Setting up the studio for "Randy Scouse Git"
An audio example of how Micky tries to get the "killer kick drum sound" with Mike as eager adviser.
Disc 1, track 24, Monkee chat
Really fun. The guys talk about Wayne Newton, Bobby Darin, The Modern Folk Quartet and Henry Diltz. You've never heard the Monkees say "f*ck" so many times before as in this chat.
Disc 2, track 10 + 13, "Where Has It All Gone"
Penned by Mike. Very interesting and strong composition. I wonder why they never returned to finish this. It could have been a hit. On track 13 Peter plays the organ instead of bass.
Disc 2, track 11, "Memphis Tennessee"
Jam which detours into Chuck Berry's "Memphis Tennessee" and Micky complaining that Peter screws it up.
Disc 2, track 12, 12 string impro
Twelve-string riff based jam, really great, could have gone somewhere. This is quite heavy.
Disc 2, track 14, "Jericho"
Micky going crazy, quick-witted, inspired. The guys singing "Jericho", one of the funniest tracks and also a display of the Monkees' gift for singing harmonies.
Disc 2, track 16, "Peter Gunn's Gun"
Henry Mancini influenced jam. The guys are playing the "Peter Gunn" TV theme. Sweaty, great.
Disc 2, track 20, Micky in Carlsbad Cavern
Micky experimenting with echo and tape effects. Micky's childish curiosity and wacky humor are fun to listen to.
Disc 2, track 23, "Masking Tape"
No one knows who wrote this song, but it's really great, groovy, and could have amounted to something. Micky runs through the lyrics, so it's not a one-off jam.
Disc 2, track 27, Blues
Sound blues jam with Micky on impro vocals. Really worth a listen.
Disc 3, track 2, Banjo jam
Peter on banjo leads the others through this jam that concentrates on a single riff and turns into something like an Indian raga. Very much Peter.
Disc 3, track 4, six-string improvisation
Probably another unfinished Mike-composition. It has his country-feel to it.
Disc 3, track 5 + 8, "The Story of Rock and Roll"
Great Harry Nilsson-penned song. Too bad that the Monkees didn't stick with it. Producer Chip Douglas recorded an almost identical arrangement of it with his former band the Turtles in 1968.
Disc 3, track 7, Two-part invention in F Major
Classic Bach piano piece played by Peter, a mainstay of his repertoire. Also the one he played in the 1968 "33 1/3 RPM" television show.
Disc 3, track 9, "Don't Be Cruel"
Peter and Micky jamming the Elvis classic.
Disc 3, track 14, Fever
Not the Peggy Lee-hit, but all drums, piano, bass and echo! And then Peter saying fever in the end.

The "Headquarters Sessions" is an insight into the often tedious work that bands go through to cut an album. Great, if you're a Monkees-fan, otherwise rather boring. The Monkees' personalities come through here, Micky being the spontaneous one, clowning around, Mike and Peter concentrating on the music and Davy: well, you hardly notice him as he wasn't that much into making music at this point as the other 3. I'm sure that fans will appreciate "Headquarters Sessions", though.

Mike Nesmith, Headquarters Sessions 

Peter Tork, Headquarters Sessions 

Me with some of my books and sources of inspiration! 

Monkees question-answer forum

In 2002 I was doing a question-answer forum for an on-line fan club of Peter Tork's band "The Shoe Suede Blues". As far as I know, the club doesn't exist anymore, but here's what came out of the forum:

Thanks to everyone who participated in this forum! Before we get to the questions and answers, here's a note from Ms Falkenberg:

Dear Shoopies and Monkees Fans,
I have enjoyed "talking" to all of you through this Forum and I found many of the questions to be very good and thought provoking. Furthermore it has also raised a demand for having my other work translated, so hopefully within a year I'll get a collection of selected short stories translated into English and published. I'll keep you all posted.
Thanks for your interest and support. I wish you all well.
Lise Lyng Falkenberg

Laura M asks:
What was the best part of working on the book? I really enjoy writing myself.

Laura,
To me the best part of writing a book is always the research. I love digging into the material and see where it takes me, what conclusions I can draw etc. Keep on writing, it is sooo giving!

Lee B asks:
What made you want to write about The Monkees?

Hi, Lee B,
I didn't get to see the Monkees' TV show until 1987, but then I immediately fell in love with it and wanted to know more about the Monkees. When I found out that they were probably the first manufactured band in the world I got so fascinated with the whole story that I just had to write about it!

MJ asks:
Was writing this book different than the others you have written? Who was the easiest person to interview? Who was the most fun?

Hi MJ,
Yes, writing this book was very different from writing the others. Up until then I had mostly written fiction - novels, short stories and books for children. The only non-fiction book I had written was a book about the Scots writer Sir J. M. Barrie who invented Peter Pan back in 1902. Writing about the Monkees was in a way easier, because they are still alive so you could ask them things you wanted to know, but you also had to protect their privacy much more because they are still alive. Another thing was copyright. In the book about the Monkees I can't quote longer passages of for instance their lyrics, whereas I could quote Sir J. M. Barrie, because his works are more than 50 years old and thereby no longer protected by copyright laws.
The easiest and most fun person to interview in connection with the book was Peter for the simple reason that he was the only one who granted me an interview! I wrote all of the Monkees asking for interviews, but the 3 others never even answered my request. At first I was afraid that it would twist the story if only Peter's views were represented, but then I found so much material from the others from various interviews, autobiographies etc. that their views could come across as well. Furthermore we still miss a biography on Peter, so maybe it is okay that he is the only one interviewed for my book?

Kelly G asks:
Were the shows that the Monkees did really big in Denmark?

Hi Kelly G,
No, the shows that the Monkees did were not big in Denmark because they have never been aired in Denmark! Up until the 1980es most people in Denmark only knew the Monkees as a pop band, so here we weren't aware of the accusation that they couldn't play their own instruments! We didn't view the Monkees as a phony band, because we didn't know that they were actually a TV show! To celebrate the Monkees' 20 years anniversary many German and British TV stations aired the Monkees shows again and due to the invention of dish antennas Danes were now able to see the shows on foreign TV channels. The shows have, however, still not been aired in Danish television, but HEAD has been shown several times by now.

Nicole asks:
What was it like when you first got published?

Hi Nicole,
When I had my first book accepted by a publishing firm I was only 19 years old. Since I was 6 I knew for sure that I wanted to become a writer, so it was a dream come true to me. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, but it was also a busy period, where I had to find out for the first time all the legal matters regarding having a book published, what to expect from a contract, how to negotiate royalties etc. Furthermore I had a lot of extra work signing books, giving lectures and so on. Quite a stressing schedule for one, who was still in college.

Robin asks:
Do you think that you will do a book signing tour? I would love to meet you!

Hi Robin,
I will not be doing a book signing tour outside of Denmark where I live. I have a busy work schedule and also a small child to take care of, so I just can't leave at the moment. I have been travelling a lot in my younger years, also in the USA, and when my daughter gets a little older I will probably do so again. Who knows, maybe we'll meet some time after all?

Tom asks:
I want to be a writer and like to think about how I'd do some things differently. Being a writer, if you could have written for the Monkees TV show, how would you have done it?

Hi Tom,
That's a difficult question, because the way you write today is not the same way as you could write in the sixties. Today you can get away with a lot more on TV than you could back then. If I could have written for the Monkees TV show I would probably have made is less "cute" and more satiric. As you can see from my book, I'm fond of the way that the Monkees could change into different personalities in split seconds and also that the show never pretended to be real but instead emphasized that this is only TV. I would probably have stressed these things further, but my main alteration would have been to make it more of a tongue in cheek satiric show, still including the peace & love message of the sixties.

Lorenzo Raffa asks:
Where was Mike Nesmith in the episodes where only the other three appeared? Does video exist regarding the post-series appearances (as a threesome - Mike, Davy, & Micky) such as "Johnny Cash", "Laugh-In", "Hollywood Squares", and "Turn On" (an infamous show cancelled after one airing...the Monkees' episode never aired)?

Hi Lorenzo,
There are two episodes in which Mike Nesmith didn't appear, "Hitting the High Seas" and "Monkees Watch Their Feet". Well, actually Mike Nesmith is in both episodes, however briefly. The reason why he couldn't go through with the filming of "Hitting the High Seas" was (according to the video box set of the TV series from Rhino) that he contracted a real case of seasickness on the first day of filming. About "Monkees Watch Their Feet" I've heard a lot of rumors, mostly ill natured, but I have never been able to get any of them confirmed, so I won't repeat them here.
I have not found any videos regarding the post-series appearances, maybe there are tapes out there in the vaults of the producers or private persons. Who knows?

Ken Lobb asks:
What mountains must be moved in order to get The Monkees into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame? What mountains must be moved to get Mike Nesmith with the band in an active way? Thank you.

Hi Ken,
If I knew which mountains to be moved in order to get The Monkees into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame I would certainly have tried to move them! As for Mike Nesmith I'm not sure that he wants to get with the band in an active way. Mike Nesmith does his own thing and only he knows if he'll ever join the band again.

Cora P asks:
Why do you think the Monkees are still so popular?

Cora,
I think the Monkees are still so popular because of the TV series. The series appeal to both children and adults, so it is much easier to pass down your fondness of the Monkees to your children than it would have been without the series. When my 3 year old hears music she can't distinguish between the Monkees and say The Blur, but she adores the TV series although she doesn't understand a word they are saying. That doesn't keep her from laughing at the romps and being madly in love with alternately Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith. As she grows older I'm sure that she is also going to like the music, if for nothing else then for the reason that they made it

Susan asks:
I really enjoyed reading your book. It was not the usual fact and trivia books that you find. You did your research and thought it through thoroughly. How long did it take you from start to finish research and assemble all your facts? Was Peter the only Monkee you actually interviewed in person and what did you think of him?

Hi Susan,
It took me a long time to write the book. The initial idea came back in December 1994. I was to write a piece about the Monkees for a Danish film magazine and when I managed to get in contact with Peter Tork I realized that I wanted to write a book about the whole phenomenon. I started doing research in 1995, but had a long break in the period 1997-2000, where I both started a new job and had my daughter. I took up the work in 2000 and finished the book in the summer of 2001, so when you put it all together it took me about 3½ years to write the book.
Yes, Peter Tork was the only one I actually interviewed in person (over the phone), because the other Monkees never even answered my request of making interviews. I liked Peter Tork a lot, because he was extremely obliging, friendly, altruistic, open-minded, frank and funny. Usually when you do interviews it is just questions and answers, but he took his time to really talk to me and sometimes I found him asking me questions instead of the other way around. This way it felt much more like an ordinary conversation than an actual interview, so the atmosphere was looser and you could chat about almost anything. We laughed a lot and Peter Tork even sang to me over the phone!

Laura asks:
Has your opinion of the Monkees changed since you wrote the book? Are you writing another book already? What on?

Hi Laura,
Yes, my opinion of the Monkees has changed since I wrote the book. By now I admire them even more as entertainers, because now I realize how much work they put in the Monkees back in the sixties and how much they are still working both with and without the Monkees. The book has also changed my opinion of them as persons, of course, because doing the research I got to know so much more about them as individuals than could be seen on TV. Some of them I got to like more and some less, depending of whom of the Monkees shared my views on life.
Yes, I'm currently writing on 2 new books. One is about old Danish broad sheet ballads from the 1880es and their relationship to the contemporary press. This one has to be finished in March 2002. The other one is a novel. I won't go into details here. Both books will probably be published in Danish only.

Robin B asks:
Who was your favorite Monkee? Where can I get some of your other books?

Hi Robin B,
My favorite Monkee has always been Peter Tork, but I also like the others a lot, maybe especially Mike Nesmith. All my other books (mostly fiction) have been published in Danish only, but if you can read Danish they can be purchased at www.net-bog-klubben.dk

Eric asks:
Do you think you will do any kind of follow-up to your book? What would you like to do? Do you play any instruments yourself? What kind?

Hi Eric,
In the past months I've been giving interviews to different magazines as a follow-up to the book. Maybe in some years I'll write a new edition of it, so I can include the latest events. At the moment I'm not playing anything, but as a kid at school I was taught how to play guitar, piano, drums, bass, piccolo and recorder. Furthermore there are many musicians in my family and among my friends.

Lila asks:
What kind of music is popular in your country?

Hi Lila,
In Denmark the popular performers at the moment are Safri Duo (a Danish band), Britney Spears, Gorillaz, Anastasia, Kylie Minouge, O-Town, Ricki Martin, the ever popular Beatles and Bob Dylan and many more. Most people like light pop, but also techno, grunge, speed metal and other directions are popular. I guess that the only kind of music that is not very popular in Denmark is country and then maybe also opera.

Jane Marie asks:
Since the Monkees weren't as popular as other groups, was it hard to find a publishing company who wanted to put out your book?

Hi Jane Marie,
Yes, it was very difficult to find a publishing company that wanted to put out my book. It was impossible to get it out in Danish, so I had to write it in English and only then I managed to find a small company with internet sales mostly that wanted to put it out. I think it helped a lot that the publisher is a Monkees fan himself!

Wendy asks:
Do you have any up to date information on the guys personally? A lot of the folks have questions mainly about Micky's fiancée Donna. They feel he is keeping info about her too private, we just want the stats. Full name, birthday, how they met. Nothing too personal. Just the basic's! When will the book be available to purchase in bookstores?

Hi Wendy,
Micky Dolenz likes to keep his private life private, so I don't know any more about his fiancée than the rest of you. That is: Her name is Donna Quinter, she's an airline stewardess and lives on lower Manhattan. She is originally from the Philadelphia area and she and Micky Dolenz have been together as a couple for several years. Their marriage is expected to take place this summer.
My book is not going to be available in bookstores unless a demand forces the stores to keep the book on stock. As things are right now you can order it through the Danish publishing company at www.underskoven.dk/Monkees or if you want to pay with credit card at the British music book specialist A. & R. Booksearch at www.musicbookrus.com. People without Internet access can order it directly at:
A. & R. Booksearch, High Close, Lanreath, Looe, Cornwall, PL13 2PF, UK
or go to the local bookstore and have them order it from one of the addresses above. Because the book is from Denmark not many US bookstores know of its existence, so only a demand from readers can point their attention that way and get them to stock the book.

Ron asks:
Do you think that you might try to someday write Peter's biography, since this book started with an interview with him? What advice would you give to someone wanting to start writing?

Hi Ron,
It would be interesting writing Peter Tork's biography, but I think that when a person is still living the wish for having ones biography written has to come from the person himself. In other words, if Peter Tork wanted his biography written, he would probably have done something, and if not I won't be the one attempting to do it. Writing a person's biography demands a close collaboration between the biographer and the person in question. It is very different from writing the book about the Monkees because in this book I tried to get behind the myth of the Monkees not the lives of the four individuals. I hope that a Peter Tork biography will surface some day, but an authorized one where he has had the last word about the things written.
If you want a career as a writer you first of all really has to want it badly. It is hard work and lonely work, too, and to most writers it doesn't mean a lot of money. If you're sure you want to become a writer, you then have to decide on what to write, is it to be journalism, fiction or non-fiction books. After that it is a good idea to read a lot of things written in your chosen genre to see how other people do it and also take some classes in writing. There are some fine writing guides out there on the Internet. Furthermore you have to realize that no matter what kind of genre, 90% of the work is research, so you have to know a lot or at least know where you can get the information about your subject. Also here the Internet is a big help. And then finally: write what you really feel like writing, about what really interests you and what you know about. This way it is going to be much better than if you just write stuff that you think people want to read. And then it is just write, write, write until you get good at it. Although it is hard work, it is also a lot of fun, at least I can't imagine a better job than being a writer.

Colleen asks:
I would like to interview people and write their stories, either for a newspaper or in a book. How do you do it? It's really nice of you to do this. Thank you! What are your days like when you are not writing to us?

Hi Colleen,
If you want to interview people and write their stories you first have to do a lot of research. You have to find out as much about those people as possible to avoid asking them questions where the answers are commonly known. Then you have to find out what to ask them. Why are they interesting to you and to the rest of the world? Write down your questions and make sure to ask them, but also let the interview take on its own life - it sometimes brings you to subjects that you didn't even dream about.
In order to interview people you have to get hold of them. Write to them or their managers, ask for interviews, tell them for what it will be used (a book, an article etc.), and make a straight deal whether they want to approve it or not before it gets printed. When you have written your piece, send it to the publishers, the paper or whatever and see if they want to print it. You can also contact a paper in advance to hear if they are interested in an interview with so and so, but my own experience tells me that it is easier to get a paper to accept an interview when it is already done than when it is only planned, because when it is already written they know what they are buying.
What are my days like, when I'm not writing to you? Well, I get up at 7 a.m. in order to get my daughter to kindergarten at myself to the university where I work. I then work either the whole day at the university (writing on my next Ph.D.-thesis) or only for a few hours before I head home to write on my next book. I pick up my daughter at 4 p.m. and then home to the household chores. After my daughter has been put to bed around 8 I use my evenings reading or writing letters and then it is off to bed around midnight! Pretty boring, huh? Well, I also have to attend a lot of meeting, give talks, review art exhibitions, movies, music, travel in connection with work etc., but that's a whole other story!

Sam asks:
Do you hope to someday interview the other Monkees? Would you ever do an interview yourself?

Hi Sam,
It would be nice to interview the other Monkees some day. Then I could write a revised edition of the book.
Since I had my debut as a writer 20 years ago I've done a lot of interviews for both papers, radio and TV here in Denmark. This question-answer forum is also a kind of interview, don't you think so? Anyway, I like doing interviews, no matter if I'm the one asking the questions or giving the answers.

Anne asks:
What was it that made you decide to take the interview with Peter Tork and develop it into a book, instead of what the interview was originally intended for? What was the date that you began and ended the interview for the book with Peter Tork? I'm trying to get a feel for the time frame when he answered your questions.

Hi Anne,
I guess I missed a book about the Monkees where you could look up all the relevant facts and didn't have to read all the gossip. Also due to my education I wanted to analyze the whole phenomenon - therefore the analyses of series and HEAD. When I got hold of Peter Tork I realized that I actually had a genuine source who could confirm or deny rumors and who was talkative enough to give me some information that I hadn't read anywhere else before. This way I would have enough material for a book, not just an article. At the time the interviews took place I still hoped for interviews with the rest of the Monkees, but as you know it didn't happen. When I realized that these interviews weren't going to happen, the book was well on its way and I had no intentions of stopping it.
I originally interviewed Peter Tork over the phone in December 1994, but I must admit that I have forgotten the exact date. Furthermore I've written to both him and James Lee Stanley later, getting the latest mail from James Lee Stanley sometime last spring. So it has been an ongoing process.

Stephanie Anne Dispoto asks:
In your research and interviews for the book, I was under the impression from sources and David Crosby's book "Long Time Gone" that Reine Stewart was NOT Jimmy Stewart's daughter; can you confirm this? I did not see any quotes from the interview with Peter's son, I.J. Iannoli; this may sound trivial, but I am curious as to if I missed something. I did enjoy your book though, please do know that and I thank you for sharing that with everyone!

Hi Stephanie Anne,
I can't confirm that Reine Stewart is not James Stewart's daughter. On the other hand I can't deny it either, as I didn't ask Peter Tork about it, but took it for granted because all my other sources said so. Furthermore I avoided asking Peter Tork questions about his private life as that was not my business in this connection.
I didn't interview Peter Tork's son; I just talked to him, as he was the one to pick up the phone when I rang Peter Tork. We had a rather funny phone conversation where I.J. managed to get my phone number wrong, so he had Peter Tork ringing Africa or something in order to talk to me. Peter Tork later told me, that the African lady he had been calling had been very surprised and we had a good laugh. Thank you for your kind words.

Top Twenty Song List

This is the last of the "Tops", I promise! This is a Top Twenty list of my favorite Monkees songs (including release year and composers):

Goin' Down (1967, Hilderbrand/Monkees)
D. W. Washburn (1968, Lieber/Stoller)
Randy Scouse Git (1967, Dolenz)
Midnight Train (demo version featuring Coco Dolenz, 1967, Dolenz)
Tapioca Tundra (1968, Nesmith)
Porpoise Song (1968, Goffin/King)
Shades of Gray (1967, Mann/Weil)
Tear The Top Right Off My Head (1968, Tork)
Circle Sky (1968, Nesmith)
Gettin' In (1987, Tork)
Riu-Chiu (1967, traditional)
I Believe You (1996, Tork)
Salesman (1967, Smith)
Magnolia Simms (1968, Nesmith)
Daydream Believer (1968, Stewart)
Admiral Mike (1996, Nesmith)
Mr. Webster (1967, Boyce/Hart)
Mommy And Daddy (1969, Dolenz)
Pleasant Valley Sunday (Goffin/King)
Shorty Blackwell (1969, Dolenz)

Justus cover 

Monkees Top Five Albums

I've just made a Top Ten list of favorite albums on my Sladeblog so I thought I'd do a Top Five on Monkees albums, the Monkees not having released as many albums as Slade:

HEAD (1968)
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (1967)
Headquarters (1967)
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (1968)
Justus (1996)

Book cover 

Top Ten list of episodes of "The Monkees"

On September 12th 1966 a new TV-series saw the light of day on NBC. It was "The Monkees" created by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider and heavily influenced by the Beatles and their movie "A Hard Day's Night". Nevertheless, the show turned out to be quite unique, not only for its time but also up until today. Technically everything was allowed in the show and there were hardly any limits when it came to content, either. Maybe therefore the series hold up so well.
When asked, John Lennon of the Beatles once said that he thought that the Monkees were the greatest comic talents since the Marx Brothers and that he'd never missed one of their programs. Here's a Top Ten list of my favorite episodes:

Fairy Tale
Episode 48, second season, first aired: 1-8-68
Wr.: Peter Meyerson
Dir.: James Frawley
Music: "Daily Nightly"
A very hip and groovy episode in which the Monkees spoof fairy tales. Mike plays both a princess and a cobbler, Micky an innkeeper, Davy a tailor and Peter a lovesick bum. Peter falls in love with the hilariously bad tempered princess (Mike) whom he has to save from a villain. He's exposed to twisted versions of fairy tales and has to guess a riddle before he can win Mike's heart.
Note: References to the Grimm Brothers' "Little Red Riding Hood", "Goldilocks", "Hansel & Gretel" and to reality and the Vietnam War. Peter appears as Oedipus. Mike, Micky and Davy appear in drag. Everybody addresses the audience directly. Visible props. Mike can't keep a straight face. Use of narrator (Rege Cordic). Murray Roman appears. Music after the episode ("Daily Nightly"). Interview after the episode about Mike's princess role.

Monkees At The Wheel
Episode 46, second season, first aired: 12-11-67
Wr.: Coslough Johnson
Dir.: Jerry Shepard
Music: "The Door Into Summer", "Cuddly Toy"
Micky breaks the bank in Las Vegas and the Monkees get involved in a gambling fraud. Several references to the script. Use of narrator. References to "A Streetcar Named Desire" and to Wizard Glick (Mike is not Wizard Glick, but actually the croupier is, as he plays this part in the episode "MiJaCoGeo").
Note: Direct addresses to the audience. Mike addresses the audience directly after the episode to explain the ending. Rip Taylor appears as the croupier. David Pearl has a small part. Music after the episode ("Cuddly Toy"). Bloopers after the episode with Mike and Micky from the episode "Monstrous Monkee Mash" where Mike just can't say his classic sentence "Save the Texan prairie chicken".

A Coffin Too Frequent
Episode 43, second season, first aired: 11-20-67
Wr.: Stella Linden
Dir: David Winters
Music: "Goin' Down", "Daydream Believer"
Old Mrs. Weatherspoon holds a seance in the Monkees' pad assisted by the monster Boris. The Monkees have to help her out of the claws of a devious nephew - and Peter gets a cure for colds. The Monkees appear as angels and take part in a revealing trial.
Note: References to reality and drugs. Use of magic. Ruth Buzzi appears as Mrs. Weatherspoon. Music after the episode ("Daydream Believer").

The Monkees Paw
Episode 51, second season, first aired: 1-29-68
Wr.: Coslough Johnson
Dir.: James Frawley
Music: "Words"
A stranded lama (played by Mike) gives away a lucky charm and Micky gets hold of it, but he ends up losing his voice. Spoof of W. W. Jacob's "The Monkey's Paw" and the Marx Brothers.
Note: References to the TV-show "The Monkees" and to drugs. Everybody addresses the audience directly. Improvisations where Davy makes Mike and Peter laugh. Bloopers and interview after the episode where Peter talks about the hippie movement. Hans Conreid appears as the magician Mendrek.

Monstrous Monkee Mash
Episode 50, second season, first aired: 1-22-68
Wr.: Neil Burstyn & David Panich
Dir.: James Frawley
Music: "Goin' Down"
When Davy becomes romantically involved with the daughter of a mad scientist, the others have to rescue him from a haunted house. During this undertaking they are transformed into: Davy: Dracula, Micky: werewolf, Mike: mummy, Peter: almost monster. Micky sings the legendary: "Hey, Hey, I'm A Monkee".
Note: References to Bela Lugosi, the movies "Dracula", "The Wolfman" and "The Curse Of The Mummy", the script and the TV-show "The Monkees". Roger Corman's movie "The Raven" is acknowledged. Davy, Mike and Micky address the audience directly. Improvisations.

Monkees On Tour
Episode 32, first season, first aired: 4-24-67
Wr.: Bob Rafelson
Dir.: Bob Rafelson
Music: "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" + live medley consisting of "Last Train To Clarksville", "Sweet Young Thing", "Mary, Mary", "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone", "I'm A Believer", + the four's solo performances: Peter : "Cripple Creek", Davy: "I Wanna Be Free", Mike: "You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover", Micky: "I Got A Woman"
Documentary about the Monkees on tour, here in respectively San Francisco and Phoenix Arizona, filmed with a handheld camera by Jack Nicholson. There are separate interviews with the four, in which Peter tells that he is longing for peace and quiet, Davy says that he loses his sense of time when on tour, Micky declares his love for building things and Mike tells that as a student he used to skip classes and sit in the empty auditorium in the school and play. Davy is also shown as playful, Micky as a sleepyhead, Mike as a browser and Peter pays everybody's bills. In the episode the Monkees act as guest DJs at a local radio station, where Mike sends a thank you to the Rolling Stones, The Mamas and The Papas, Lovin' Spoonful and the Beatles. The episode begins with Davy and the rest thanking the viewers for the first season.

Hillbilly Honeymoon (Double Barrel Shotgun Wedding)
Episode 39, second season, first aired: 10-23-67
Wr.: Peter Meyerson
Dir.: James Frawley
Music: "Papa Gene's Blues"
The Monkees become involved in a hillbilly feud between the families Whisket and Chubber where Davy is expected to marry Ella Mae Whisket. Mike and Micky appear as the hilarious cousins Roland and Clem.
Note: References to the TV-show "The Beverly Hillbillies", the script and to reality. Micky and Peter address the audience directly. Jim Boles appears as the preacher.

The Wild Monkees
Episode 42, second season, first aired: 11-13-67
Wr.: Stanley Ralph Ross & Corey Upton
Dir.: Jon C. Andersen
Music: "Goin' Down", "Star Collector"
During a stay at "Henry Cabot Lodge and Cemetery. If You're Dying To Have A Good Time...See Us" the Monkees imitate bikers to impress some girls. Disaster strikes when the girls' boyfriends, real bikers, show up. The Monkees form the gang "The Chickens" (formerly "The Fearful Four", "The Cowards" and "The Yellowbellies"). The episode contains one of the Monkees' best staircase stunts.
Note: Spoof of Marlon Brando and "The Fantastic Four". References to the movie "The Wild One", to the script and "The Monkees"-producer Steve Blauner. Henry Corden who usually plays the Monkees' landlord appears as the hotel manager. Mike and Micky address the audience directly. Improvisation where Mike succeeds in making Micky laugh. Music before the episode ("Goin' Down").

Monkees Watch Their Feet
Episode 49, second season, first aired: 1-15-68
Wr.: Coslough Johnson
Dir.: Alex Singer
Music: "Star Collector"
Aliens from the planet Spitz make a clone of Micky for espionage purposes. Micky can be seen here in one of his very best performances: as the clone who thinks the guitar is a harmony destroyer, the phone a cat (he doesn't like it when the others tear off its head when it miaws (rings)) and the refrigerator an attractive woman wearing too much make-up. Pat Paulson can be seen in an equally hilarious part as secretary of "The Department of UFO Information".
Note: Use of narrator (Pat Paulson). References to the TV-show "The Monkees" and the script. Apart from introducing the episode Mike is not present. Talks about interplanetarian peace/war. Stuart Margolin and Nita Talbot appear as aliens.

Monkees Mind Their Manor
Episode 55, second season, first aired: 2-26-68
Wr.: Coslough Johnson
Dir.: Peter H. Thorkelson
Music: "Star Collector"
Davy inherits a castle in England but must win a duel in England before claiming it (P.S. Mummies can be used as lamps if you screw light bulbs in their eyes and cords in their noses).
Note: Spoof of Dean Martin. Davy sings "Greensleeves". Commercial spoof. References to alcoholism, the Beatles, reality and the script. Clips from the Danish monster movie "Reptilicus" from 1962. Davy, Mike and Micky address the audience directly. Jack Good and Jack Williams make appearances. Jack Good produced the Monkees' 1969 TV-show "33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkees" and Jack Williams was the Monkees' prop manager. Music after the episode ("Star Collector").

Me with my Monkees book and other gear

Excerpt from my book "The Monkees - caught in a false image", first published in 2001

When Rafelson and Schneider invented "The Monkees" they wanted to shake the inflexible, intolerant TV-world and technically the series did shake the Hollywood TV-industry. Already the pilot proved "The Monkees" to be exceptional. The pilot consisted of slapstick sequences with a lot of arty tricks. Film was under or over exposed, turned upside down and sequences reversed. Action switched from slow motion to high speed and the script for the pilot was written by Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker and had been checked for correct jargon by Bert Schneider's eight-year-old son Jeffrey. Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart had written the music for the pilot ( "(Theme From) the Monkees", "I Wanna Be Free" and "Let's Dance On") which they recorded with their own musician friends and with Micky Dolenz on vocals.
The pilot took eight days to make but later production-time was down to only three days per episode. This was due to two things. Firstly the production team used many set-ups, that is when action is stopped and light set while the cameras are rolling. In an inverview which Peter Tork granted for this book, he said that in conventional TV-shows there would be about 15 set-ups in an entire show, but "The Monkees" were running 60. "Everybody was telling us: you guys, you don't know what you're asking! But we didn't, we weren't asking, it was the producers. Having so many set-ups was radical, but we didn't know that. We only knew that the quick cuts in the series were new, because we were told so by all the professional photographers in Hollywood." The reason why the series could have this astonishing amount of set-ups was, that only the front of the set was lighted. The backgrounds were never lighted because Rafelson thought that nobody could see the backgrounds on TV anyway. Secondly the episodes were shot in such short time because most of the series came into being in the editing-phase where the filmed sequences were mixed with scenes from different documentaries so it made up an unusual plot. Furthermore Jim Frawley had filmed the Monkees with a hand held camera in a variety of different situations - romps, as they were called - and these romps were also edited into the episodes. Many of these romps were also used in the opening sequence of the series. Besides the mentioned technical subleties the series also made use of animation, as when stars were drawn in the eyes of Davy Jones whenever he fell in love with a new girl.
The dialogue in the series was often improvised, especially when the actors thought that the cameras weren't rolling. In Baker's "Monkeemania", Peter Tork explained that they were very spontaneous during rehersals and if something worked they would keep it. But once the camera angles and lighting were set up much of the spontaneity had disappeared, because the studio was lit carefully with film values, so if the actors moved more than six inches they'd flare out.
New directors without any experience were often used. Out of the first thirty-two episodes, twenty-nine were directed by people who had not previously directed televison, among them Bob Rafelson himself.
Technically everything was allowed in "The Monkees" and when it came to content there was hardly any limits either. The show was not an ordinary sitcom as it constantly referred to classical literature, works of art, classical music and myths, famous movies, fairy tales, cartoons, B-movies, other sitcoms etc. The series also had a rather big political aspect as it often spoke ironically of the Cold War, the Red Scare, the Vietnam War, the backdraws of the American capitalist society etc.
Furthermore the series deals with different layers of reality. First and foremost there is the ordinary reality where the Monkees is a rock group. Then there is the fairy tale reality of the series in which the Monkees can transform themselves into other persons (such as Monkeemen, a parody on Superman). The fairy tale reality occurs
- during musical features in the series
- during visions of the future
- during associations to historical persons and events
- when the problems of reality becomes insoluble
- for stressing the present situation
- for comparisons in general.
Finally there is the third reality of the show, the real reality, where the Monkees are four actors taking part in the TV-series "The Monkees" and where the set, the director and the staff are visible to the viewers.
Besides being extraordinary in both technique and content the series also played a huge role in the development of rock videos on TV. In each episode six to seven minutes of music were incorporated in the shape of one to two rock videos, which was revolutionary then. These music sequences usually had nothing or only little to do with the rest of the action in the episodes, and many of the techniques used in video productions today were used for the first time in "The Monkees". Among other things it is here where you'll see the fast associative cuts for the first time, cuts which are so common in rock videos today.

What Peter Tork found the most radical about the show was, that it didn't have a father figure. "The producers decided that we weren't going to have one." he explained, "Up until then all situation comedies had a father figure, even after us; "The Partridge Family" [with David Cassidy and Susan Day, ed.] which was modelled on us, which was taken off us, had a parent figure, they had the mummy there. All these shows were about parents, were about parents and children. And we did have somebody who we thought was going to be a parent figure. We had a guy who was going to be our manager, but he only appeared for a split-second in the pilot, and then the producers decided to do away with him. So in some way, sociologically speaking, the most radical aspect of the show was the no parent figure because it was a first. We were pressumed to be teenagers, but teenagers on our own and that was radical. I mean, people weren't adults in TV-shows until after they had graduated from college and gotten married. And that didn't happen until twenty-four or twenty-five or someting, but we were supposed to be eighteen or something so it was quite unusual."
The real master stroke of the series was, however, the spontaneous interviews which Bob Rafelson staged with the Monkees outside the episodes and which became a regular feature in the show. Here the Monkees spoke openly about themselves, the show, their music and whatever else Bob Rafelson would ask them. The interviews together with the fact that the four Monkees were allowed to keep their real names in the series undoubtedly did wonders to the viewers identifying with the actors. Everybody was suddenly on a first name basis with Micky, Davy, Mike and Peter, and everybody seemed to know them in person because of the interviews.
The viewers identifying with the actors was also made easier by the fact that the four Monkees to a certain degree were allowed to keep their own personalities in the series. In an interview to Coast Magazine in 1971 Micky said, that the four characters were actually an extension of their real selves. Davy was the cute singer who got all the girls, Mike was the Will Rogers country-and-western dry humorist and Micky himself was the nutty crazy comic who did the imitations. Only Peter's character was not like himself. He played the Huntz Hall, the dummo, and this drove him crazy. He didn't like it at all as he was really an intellectual. Mike didn't seem too crazy about being in the series, either. On the same occasion he told Coast Magazine that when he joined "The Monkees" he'd just gotten out of the Air Force - the most horrible experience of his life. He thought that he'd never sign a contract like that again but ended up doing so when he signed with Screen Gems. Except the punishments were much more severe, as the Screen Gems contract had clauses in there to keep the actors out of work for the rest of their lives.

Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith - back cover from "Live 1967" 

Wembley Arena, March 19. 1997

The Monkees U.K.-tour was a great event in all of Europe. Because it was the first time for many fans to get a chance to see all four Monkees live, people had flown in to the concerts from all over Europe. Not only the British were there, but so were also people from Holland, Italy, France, Germany etc. I had come from Denmark to see the band live for the very first time in my life.
While waiting for the gates at Wembley Arena in London to open we could hear the Monkees rehears and talk inside the building after which Davy appeared to wave to his fans when crossing the parking lot to the tour bus.
The gates opened at 6.30 p.m. and at 7.40 Nancy Boy went on stage to do a half-hour show. The music was great but unfortunately the big screens weren’t on, so people sitting in the middle and the back of the arena had no chance of seeing the musicians close up.
There followed a 20 minutes intermission after which the Monkees went on stage in a splash of white lights and the audience went crazy. ”You’re very kind,” Peter thanked before continuing, ”Well, actually you’re just kind enough!” The Monkees opened the concert by playing Last Train to Clarksville and then they went on playing for 1 hour and 45 minutes straight, without any intermissions. The show was, however, divided into two sets with the solo-spots in the middle.
The Monkees played a few tunes from their new Justus-album, but mostly they played songs from their first three albums, The Monkees, More of the Monkees and Headquarters. This included Michael and Micky surprisingly doing Zilch and Davy and Peter doing Shades of Gray to a wonderful light/laser-show. The lighting during the entire concert was just superb. What really got people going, though, were tunes like I’m A Believer and Randy Scouse Git where everybody got up from their seats to dance and sing along. The audience consisted mostly of ”original” Monkees-fans in their 40es and 50es, but also quite a few newer fans in their mid-twenties had found their way to Wembley Arena. For the first part of the show the Monkees wore identical blue velvet suits, Davy and Peter with white shirts, Micky with a white T-shirt and Michael with a white turtleneck and a red cap.
During the solo-spots Peter and Michael totally stole the scene, upstaging the others. Peter opened the solos by playing Bach’s Toccata in D and earning the biggest applause given during the entire concert! Then Michael came on stage and started explaining that the Monkees were so different because they came from different places. ”Peter is from the East Coast and Micky is from California,” he said, ”David is from Manchester…” and here the crowds cheered so he had to pause before continuing, ”and I’m from Texas so I have no idea how I got into Brazilian music.” Then he played Rio which had the audience up dancing and singing. After this Peter went on stage again to do a great version of Little Richard’s Lucille. It was pure rock and Peter’s voice was incredibly good. He had us all going. Micky’s solo was Since I Fell For You and Davy’s Daddy’s Song.
In the second set the Monkees were backed up by their five-piece backing-band where especially Aviva on sax made a great impact on the audience. For this set the Monkees were dressed in matching white suits and Michael wore a white shirt, red tie and blue cap, Davy a black shirt and Micky and Peter red shirts, Peter with a black tie. They opened by playing For Pete’s Sake and continued through old tunes and one new, Regional Girl, from Justus. During the Justus-songs clips from the new ABC-special were shown on the screens and it was the first glimpse we Europeans had of it. It looked great. The Monkees did a wonderful version of Listen to the Band with Porpoise Song woven in. During Your Auntie Grizelda Peter got out to the stage corner and started stripping and before getting into Goin’ Down Micky fooled around, teasing Davy with his hight, pretending not to see him although he stood in front of him. The second set closed with Daydream Believer with a beautifully starlit backdrop and everybody swaying and singing along.
For the encores the Monkees walked on stage doing the Monkee-walk, but Michael must have been a little out of practise, so he got kicked over the shin by Micky, abruptly ending the Monkee-walk by saying, ”We have to practise this a little more”. The encores were Steppin’ Stone and Pleasant Valley Sunday with the audience dancing and singing along.
The Monkees really gave value for money playing 27 songs during the concert. It had been worth waiting all these years to see the four guys back together and as I talked to some British, Dutch and Italian fans after the concert, we all agreed: if the Monkees play Europe again – no matter where – we’ll be there!

Peter Tork