Hey,Hey,Its The Monkees ...Again!

Hey,Hey,Its The Monkees ...Again!

Steve Peters

The tension and excitement grow as concert time draws near. Thousands of fans make futile efforts to be patient in the minutes remaining, breathlessly anticipating what will surely be a classic show.

When the lights finally dim, hordes of screaming fans fill the air with a piercing roar of approval as the familiar figures energetically bound onto the huge stage, ready to perform some of the best music in the history of rock ’n’ roll. Hey, hey, it’s the Monkees! And they’re back...again!

The above scenario was fairly common when the Monkees— Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork— first toured back in 1967. But who would have thought that it could happen all over again, 20 years later?

David Fishoff, for one. Fishoff, a promoter from New York, got the ball rolling for the Monkees reunion last year when he approached the group with the idea of reforming and touring on the 20th anniversary of their 1966 television debut. While Nesmith declined (obligations with the successful video company he had formed kept him from participating) and Dolenz had to be convinced, the band eventually undertook a nationwide tour that drew larger crowds than many “current” acts!

The group’s detractors (probably the same folks who scoffed at the idea of a made-for-television rock band loosely based on the Beatles—until the Monkees scored a string of Top 10 singles and albums and became legitimate musicians in their own right) quickly dismissed the tour as a nostalgia act, but the band proved them wrong. A 1986 collection of their greatest hits featured three new songs, including the Top 20 smash “That Was Then, This Is Now,” and affirmed their validity as a viable commercial success in the ’80s. A handful of their original albums re-entered the pop charts for the first time in over a decade, and they played sold-out shows to audiences that included a legion of new fans as well as those who had first enjoyed their show when it aired between 1966 and 1968. When Mike Nesmith joined the trio for a pair of concerts in Los Angeles, only one question remained . . . how would the Monkees follow up their massive 1986 comeback?

By keeping things going in 1987, of course! In addition to another tour this summer, the Monkees have spent the last year working on and discussing a number of projects, including their first album of original material in 17 years and a feature-length film that may include Michael Nesmith!

“Mike has said he’d love to do the movie and, depending on his availability, he will,” Micky told ROCK-SHOTS. “He’ll also be on the road with us if he’s available—a couple of dates.”

So what will the movie be like, Micky?

“It’ll be heavier than an old Monkees show, but it won’t be Head (the Monkees’ only feature film, which was released in 1968). It’ll be somewhere between Ghostbusters, Mad, Mad World and Time Bandits. It’ll be comedy/adventure.”

“Micky’s got all the ideas about direction in the movie,” Davy adds. “That’s his baby.” Since Dolenz has worked primarily as a director in England in recent years, his experience and valuable

input will really help things along when the film begins shooting late this year.

In the meantime, the Monkees have been concentrating on Pool It!, their new album. With typically witty comments, the group displays the sharp sense of humor they honed and perfected in their early days when describing the album.

“It’s gonna have grooves and a hole and labels and everything!” Peter says excitedly.

“And a cover!” Micky hastens to add.

The guys are admittedly nervous about the new record, but since virtually everything they’ve been involved with recently has been met with an enthusiastic response they needn’t worry. Pool It! will feature around a dozen songs (Micky: “10 or 12.” Davy:

“12,” Peter: “I was told 10.” Micky: “So how about 11?!”), mostly written by outsiders.

“We’ve got a great Tommy James tune,” Micky says. “A great Bobby Clark tune..

“We got so many good tunes that you always tend to—I don’t know what it is, it’s sort of inhibiting when there’s so many great tunes around,” Davy says. “You’ve got your own tunes you want to do but—you gotta believe in ’em, I guess, and I believe in mine—but I would’ve liked to have done more. Next album, I will do a couple more.”

Next album? These guys show no signs of letting up! When asked if they feel anxious about the response this album will get, the Monkees have mixed reactions.

“I’m scared to death,” says Peter.

“I’m not at all,” a confident Davy says. “It’s just another part of what we do. I listened to the album the other night; there’s not one song that sounds the same as another.”

“Great variety,” Micky agrees. “It’s not bubblegum at all.”

Now that the Monkees are touring, they have a chance to test out the new material on live audiences as well as add older songs to an ever-growing list of what they perform.

“We’ve added some tunes,” Davy says. “The mail is just pouring in, and there’s been many requests for certain tunes. And they wonder why last year we cut out ‘Words,’ and they wonder why we’re not doing stuff from the Head movie... we’ve actually looked at the mail and gone through it. Y'know, we’re pulling in 1,000 letters a week at this point.”

“I'm getting two or three letters a week,” Peter pouts.

It looks like the Monkees phenomenon is far from over, and for that, old and new fans the world over are thankful. The Monkees have overcome a lot of obstacles and criticism to get where they are today, and the timeless quality of their music indicates they could be around for another 20 years!