It was a bit mean. ... And to be fair, while it is true that at first the group did not play their own instruments, Nesmith and Tork were musicians. Nesmith even wrote the Stone Ponies hit Different Drum. And Dolenz started practising to be a better drummer. The turning point came in 1967 when they insisted on playing their own material and getting producer credit as well.
Fun Fact two: After their TV show was canceled, they made the movie Head, which at the time was a box office flop, but is now a cult classic. A then-unknown Jack Nicholson helped write and produce the movie. He also acted in it along with Frank Zappa, Terri Garr, Annette Funicello, Sonny Liston, and Dennis Hopper.
That's quite a cast in Head. For those who are as bored as I was today, there's a trailer for it on IMDB. It's wholly unappealing now but maybe I would've been curious enough in 68 or 69 to go see it, (admittedly, seeing Annette (age 25) and Teri Garr (20), might have drawn me in. Oh, and Sonny Liston, too, what an actor!)
No need to justify Monkee-ing around, Gary. (See what I did there?). I recently saw Teri Garr on an episode of Star Trek, S02-E26, March 1968, called Assignment Earth. So about the same time. Now I am off to IMDB.
Oh, that's mean. True...but mean. And funny.
ReplyDeleteChad
It was a bit mean. ... And to be fair, while it is true that at first the group did not play their own instruments, Nesmith and Tork were musicians. Nesmith even wrote the Stone Ponies hit Different Drum. And Dolenz started practising to be a better drummer.
DeleteThe turning point came in 1967 when they insisted on playing their own material and getting producer credit as well.
Fun Fact: Dolenz almost got the part of The Fonz on Happy Days. He was beaten out by Henry Winkler.
ReplyDeleteFun Fact two: After their TV show was canceled, they made the movie Head, which at the time was a box office flop, but is now a cult classic. A then-unknown Jack Nicholson helped write and produce the movie. He also acted in it along with Frank Zappa, Terri Garr, Annette Funicello, Sonny Liston, and Dennis Hopper.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a cast in Head. For those who are as bored as I was today, there's a trailer for it on IMDB. It's wholly unappealing now but maybe I would've been curious enough in 68 or 69 to go see it, (admittedly, seeing Annette (age 25) and Teri Garr (20), might have drawn me in. Oh, and Sonny Liston, too, what an actor!)
ReplyDeleteNo need to justify Monkee-ing around, Gary. (See what I did there?). I recently saw Teri Garr on an episode of Star Trek, S02-E26, March 1968, called Assignment Earth. So about the same time. Now I am off to IMDB.
ReplyDeleteLooked through the pics. Nice sailor suit, Annette.
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