“Was it a TV show? Was it a rock & roll group? I don’t know. It was neither and it was a little of both.” – Michael Nesmith
American television producers of the ’60s and ’70s were very good at creating bands to build a TV show around. Think of The Partridge Family, The Archies, Josie and The Pussycats and, of course, The Monkees.
In the wake of Beatlemania, producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider came up with the concept of The Monkees, a “madcap” comedy series with music, inspired by the Beatles movies A Hard Days Night and Help!
The series ended after only two seasons but it lived on quite successfully in syndication.
Individually, Michael, Davy, Micky and Peter were all accomplished singers/musicians. Yet at first, their musical creativity was stifled by the producers who controlled everything about The Monkees’ songs. Music supervisor Don Kirshner used professional songwriters and studio musicians to create their recordings.
The band formed in 1966 but the music publishing company would not allow them to play their own instruments on their records or to use more of their own material. The final straw was when Kirshner moved the track recording from California to New York, leaving the band out of the musical process entirely until they added their vocals to the completed tracks.
By 1967, after a brief power struggle, Kirshner was fired and the four members gained full control over the recording process. Michael Nesmith particularly risked all for the band.
So that’s the brief version. Read more here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkees
And watch this fascinating 1996 documentary, in which you will hear stories from Michael, Davy, Micky and Peter themselves:
Songs by The Monkees on Bang a Gong:
(Theme from) The Monkees
Daydream Believer
I’m a Believer
Last Train to Clarksville
Listen to the Band
A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
Mary, Mary
Valleri
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