1.) Who are the Monkees?
--- "The Monkees" was originally a TV show about a struggling band in the mid-60s. Over time, TV show/band members Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, & Michael Nesmith actually became a real band. For the full story & history of The Monkees click here.
2.) Did The Monkees play their own instruments or write their own songs?
--- Yes, but not at first. Because The Monkees were originally supposed to be an imaginary band on TV, their producers/supervisors didn't think it was necessary for them to play or write the music on their records. For their first two albums the guys didn't play (but Mike Nesmith did write a few songs) mainly because of their music supervisor, Don Kirshner, who's standards were #1 hits & he didn't believe The Monkees were capable of that. After many battles with the "big guys," the Monkees were finally allowed to play their own music on their third album "Headquarters" & also performed live concerts. As far as writing their own songs, The Monkees themselves wrote some of the band's most memorable tunes such as "Mary, Mary," "For Pete's Sake," "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," "Goin' Down," "Listen to the Band," & many others.
3.) Who's who?
Micky Dolenz was the group's drummer
& was known as the goofy one.
Davy Jones was the percussionist & is best
known as the short, British heartthrob.
Mike Nesmith was the guitarist & was the serious
Texan who often was the group's leader.
Peter Tork was the guitarist/bassist/keyboardist
& is well-known as the shy dummy of the bunch.
4.) What are the Monkees doing now?
--- Right now, The Monkees are keeping busy with their own projects and solo careers. They just wrapped up a reunion tour in late-2002, but don't have any plans to work together at this time. Micky Dolenz performed in "Aida" on Broadway in 2004 and has two new books coming out in 2006. As he always does between Monkees tours, Davy Jones is performing with his band singing Monkees hits and his solo favorites. Peter Tork is touring & released a new album with his band, Shoe Suede Blues in 2002. Mike Nesmith's latest album, "Rays," is expected to be released in April 2006 and he is reportedly also looking for a publisher for his second novel.
5.) Where can I buy Monkees items?
--- Rhino Entertainment now owns the complete Monkees catalog & trademark and has re-released all 11 of the Monkees original albums on CD, as well as all 58 of their episodes on VHS & DVD, other unreleased material, and various additional items. You can find these items at your local record stores, on the web at Amazon.com, Ebay.com, & at multiple other places.
6.) What's The Monkees' latest album?
--- The Monkees most recent studio album of new material was "Justus," which was released in 1996 & featured all four Monkees playing, writing, & producing the whole album. In late-2002, "The Monkees - Live Summer Tour" DVD was released (2001 concert) while the CD version was released in February 2003. Also, "The Best of The Monkees," a greatest hits CD, was released in April 2003 & debuted at #51 on Billboard's Top 200.
7.) Do any of the guys have any kids?
--- Mike: Christian (1/31/65), Jonathan (2/4/68), Jason (8/7/68), Jessica (9/10/70)
--- Davy: Talia (10/2/68), Sarah (7/3/71), Jessica (9/4/81), Annabelle (6/26/88)
--- Micky: Ami (1/8/69), Charlotte (8/8/81), Emily (7/25/83), Georgia (9/3/84)
--- Peter: Hallie (1/25/70), Ivan (12/22/75), Erica (?/?/97)
8.) What does the name "pre-fab four" mean?
--- "Pre-Fab Four" is a name the media/press gave the Monkees in the 60s meaning "pre-fabricated," compared to the Beatles' "Fab Four" meaning "Fabulous Four." This name for the Monkees was not a compliment & was given because of the fact that the Monkees didn't (weren't allowed to) play their own instruments at the beginning.
9.) Is it true that Jimi Hendrix was the opening act for The Monkees?
--- Yes, Micky discovered him & was blown away. When he told the other guys about him, they all thought it would be a great idea for him to open during their summer 1967 US tour. He only lasted eight days before all involved realized it was not meant to be when he was booed off the stage during his set one too many times.
10.) What ever happened to the MonkeeMobile?
--- The famous MonkeeMobile that the guys drove around town in on their TV show still exists. Originally there were two MonkeeMobiles & both are still in existance. Just a few years ago, I had the honor of seeing an original MonkeeMobile in Los Angeles, CA. For pictures & facts, visit the MonkeeMobile page
11.) Did Mike Nesmith really invent MTV?
--- In a nutshell, yes, he did invent the concept of the music video & sold his idea to Warner, who developed it into MTV. In fact, he even won the first music video Grammy in 1982.
12.) Is it true Peter Tork worked as a teacher after The Monkees?
---Yes, Peter did work as a school teacher after The Monkees for a few years in the seventies. As a matter of fact, he coached baseball during his teaching years, as well.
13.) What does the weird writing on Micky's page of the Monkees' 2001 summer tourbook mean?
---Micky's page is written in a computer keyboard code. Each letter written stands for the letter to the left of it on a computer keyboard. For example, "Zovlu" means Micky & "Jo!" means Hi!
14.) Does the blazer Davy wore on "The Brady Bunch" still fit him?
---Recently, Davy has said that the striped blazer he wore on his 1971 appearance on "The Brady Bunch" does indeed still fit him. He said he still tries it on for a joke periodically. As an added tidbit, that particular episode he appeared on is the single most rerun episode of any show to ever hit the air!
15.) What's the song that was played during the end credits on "The Monkees" TV show?
---The song is called "For Pete's Sake" and was used during the second season of the series. It was written by Peter Tork & Joseph Richards and was included on their 3rd album, "Headquarters."16.) How can I keep up with what they're doing?
--- Keep checking the Monkeesrule43 Online and/or subscribe to our popular email mailing list for the latest news, tour dates, releases & more.
