Micky Dolenz compares the Monkees’ experience to that of today’s popular television program “Glee”: They were assembled to perform as actors, but each band member always possessed real talent.
Still, the struggle to make their own music took some time. Headquarters, the first project to have been written and produced by the Monkees themselves, didn’t arrive until May of 1967 — some two years after the foursome was hired to a prospective TV series by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider.
Fast forward some 45 years, and originals Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith are touring with a setlist that focuses in no small way on Headquarters, underscoring the creative impulse this group once derisively referred to as “the Pre-Fab Four” always boasted.
This on-going concert series, their second without the late Davy Jones, hits Seattle tonight before wrapping up in Portland. Dolenz and Nesmith both have solo dates to follow.
Jones died of a heart attack, reportedly brought on by atherosclerosis, on February 29, 2012.
Dolenz, in a talk with SeattleMet, remembers how difficult making the transition from paid actors to working musicians originally was.
“We were led to believe that they would be contributing and writing and singing and playing (on the show and albums), and that wasn’t the case,” Dolenz says. “So Headquarters was the palace revolt. After that, we won the right to at least have some control over what was being done.”
They’d come a long way from that moment when Tork walked into an early Monkees recording session with his bass and was asked: “What are you doing here?”
The lengthy concert segment currently devoted to Headquarters, Dolenz clearly feels, makes a statement about how they really were the whole time: “It’s a lot like ‘Glee’ — that’s the first thing that’s come along in a long time that has a similar paradigm, which is a TV show about an imaginary glee club, yet all the performers and actors and singers can actually do it. I’ve always approached it like that.”
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Glad to see Micky comparing the Monkees to Glee instead of Spock from Star Trek. The Star Trek comparison I felt was unfair to the Monkees themselves. Micky has one of the great rock voices of all-time and Mike was really an early pioneer of a style of country rock that is in Eagles mold. Not to mention Peter and Davy’s diverse talents.
There is really nothing like the Monkees. With some great songwriters at their disposal they created some of the best pop tunes in the history of rock. They also created some strange fascinating songs on their own. Micky’s Randy Scouse Git was a number #2 hit in Britain. Most of all.. here we are almost 50 years later and the music holds up and they’re not forgotten. Its proven timeless.
That is the opposite of many so-called hit songs of today that are forgotten tomorrow. The Monkees will never be forgotten.
I was fortunate enough to see the last tour with Davy. what a great show. and yes, when the whole crowd sings along and knows all the words to all the songs, well then… enough said. Headquarters had the best stuff of all which proves they could hold up to boyce and hart, Neil Diamond, anyone really. creative hooks. I wish they would bring back the reruns on TV.