My copy of this record is scratched ripped and smells of Rubber Soul. (the sixties night club I DJed at for 5 years) It's also got Ronny Williams's name on it. Since he took my Aretha Franklin Best of when he left for Adelaide, I guess it's a fair trade. The Monkees were a big band for me in the sixties.
I lived in Croydon in 1968 and remember arguing with a neighbour in their backyard about who was better. The Beatles or The Monkees. I pointed out that The Monkees had all these hits. So what if they didn't play on the records just sang. What difference does that make? But they did play on their records later on. And wrote some great songs. Mary Mary, Randy Scouse Git. Self-penned.
The friendly argument continued into the house where we were playing the Game of Life in the living room. I was so intent on winning them over that I actually started believing the Monkees were really better.
Years later, I would get Little Murders to cover Monkees songs. Mary Mary of course. Also Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow, I'm Not Your Stepping Stone, (the Fiction even covered I Wanna be Free and made it into a punk song). Quite a few really. The Monkees were the beginnings of bubblegum music but they transcended that.
I used to love the TV series too. Watched it religiously. Bought the bubblegum cards. Even have a large tin Monkeemobile.
In 2016 the Monkees brought out the album Good Times. A brilliant album with a host of current-day artists writing songs for them. It contains what I think is one of the best Monkees songs ever in a track called Me and Magdalena. Mike Nesmith singing. Just great.
I used to love the TV series too. Watched it religiously. Bought the bubblegum cards. Even have a large tin Monkeemobile.
In 2016 the Monkees brought out the album Good Times. A brilliant album with a host of current-day artists writing songs for them. It contains what I think is one of the best Monkees songs ever in a track called Me and Magdalena. Mike Nesmith singing. Just great.
No comments:
Post a Comment