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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Picked this up from the musiciansf'd website:
This week:
1965, an ad in Variety announces auditions for the new TV show The Monkees ... would-be Monkees who fail to make the cut include Stephen Stills, Danny Hutton later of Three Dog Night, songwriter Paul Williams, and Charles Manson...
I would've loved to seen those auditions. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Just imagine if Stephen Stills became a Monkee. Talk about the "road not taken".
Perhaps he was rejected because he was too good of a musician. |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | not to mention the interesting episodes with Manson |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | For a long time, there was a rumour going about that Still was "panned" on the Monkees 'cause he wasn't "photogenic" enough, in that he had a recessed front tooth. Stills later dispelled that rumour. The reason it didn't work out was that Stiils wanted to WRITE songs for the show, but found out that he'd have to give up his publishing rights, and the studio already had a writing contract with Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart.
The studio then asked if he knew of anyone that "looked like" him and might be interested.
Stills recommended someone he was doing coffee-house folk duo gigs with at the time . . . Peter Tork. |
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August 2003
Posts: 396
| I'd say that situation worked out pretty well for Peter Tork. Actually being a Monkey didn't turn out to be such a bad thing. Have any of the Monkeys stated that it's the worst thing that ever happened to them? Mickey's voice is key on many of the hits, but would anyone today know Mickey D, Peter, Davey, or Mike if they hadn't been a Monkey? Maybe, maybe not.
Stills is certainly talented and has had a great career, but talent alone doesn't get you there.. you need a few good breaks and opportunities to go with the talent. Not becoming a Monkey worked out great (it would appear) for Stills, but there is another possible reality where I see this very talented guy in his late 50's playing at some dive and someone tells me this guy Stills (whom I've never heard of) was almost a Monkey, but they passed on him. Too bad, he could have been a contender. I'm also told he paints houses part time and he could use the work. |
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August 2005
Posts: 43
| Funny thing happened a few years ago - 3 of the Monkees, Peter, Davy, and Mickey, were set to play a small town festival. I decided to go with friends.
That morning the local radio said Peter had been let go from the band.
Describing the incident to a group of co-workers, I got to use a pet phrase many of my co-workers use. I told them,
"They fired his monkey a** !" |
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April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Actually, Peter left of his own accord. When he signed on for the last tour it was only supposed to last for the Summer. David Fishoff's Company kept adding dates and obligations. Peter Had previously committed to continue with his own band "Shoe Suede Blues" After the Monkee Tour was over. When Fishoff added the dates, Peter told both Mickey and Davey exactly when his last date with the band would be and he left. I'm not exactly sure how the Fired Rumor got started. But it's not true. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | I got to see a reconstituted Monkees concert while at an amusement park here in NoCal. The lineup was Jones, Dolenz, Boyce and Hart. As you might imagine, there was a complete, anonymous band to play the music. I'm glad I was there to ride roller coasters and not see a concert.
What I would love to see is Michael Nesmith put together a tour. Now that would be fun. |
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August 2005
Posts: 43
| Did,'t mean to imply that Peter left on his own volition or not - but I just HAD to use that little phrase when I got the chance.
For the record, Mickey & Davy & band put on a real good show. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | How many people remember "Elephant Parts".....long considered to be the first set of music videos. |
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January 2004
Posts: 123
Location: Massachusetts | I actually went to their first reunion tour in like 86.
Sold out arena, 15,000 people..I am not kidding. I was way opposite the stage.
They sounded amazing..I'm like they gotta be lip synching but I'm too far away to tell...no video screens back then.
A few weeks later they played like the Tonight Show. Nope they were singing live. Sounded great.
That "young girl get out of my heart" dude opened...god I hate that song. The Riteous Brothers were supposed to be there but never showed.
Oh, my friend saw Peter Tork for free a few years ago...probably the time he toured with his own band vs the Monkees...my friend said he just sucked. Sounds like he should have stayed with the Monkeys. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12755
Location: Boise, Idaho | "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett (and the Union Gap)? From Twin Falls Idaho. Saw Gary a couple years ago in a little casino in northern Nevada, just 45 miles from his hometown of Twin Falls. He can't hit the high notes anymore, but still has a pretty good voice for an old guy. It's amazing to me that someone can sing for so many years in all those smokey bars. |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Gary Puckett and the Union Gap...For it's time, some of the most sexually suggestive lyrics ever to go over our parent's head. Like "Young Girl"...lyrics about a man in a struggle not to commit satutory rape wrapped up in a sweet sounding love ballad. On the Ed Sullivan show they made them change the lyrics from "FACTS of life" to "WAY of life". Sheesh! |
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Location: Cherry Hill, NJ | ...just think of how strange it would have been for Charles Manson to be a Monkee...add's a whole new meaning to "Last Train to Clarksville" |
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Location: Germantown, MD | And "I'm A Believer" would be really scary. |
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April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Scary?? that's an understatement. :) Hey stephen, I remember Elephant Parts. I own a copy on VHS. Still watch it from time to time. It wonthe First Video grammy. |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | How about the Taj Mahal version of "Take a Giant Step"??? :cool:
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Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Paul, Doesn't Kid on A Pony do that version Too? :rolleyes: :D |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Hmmmmmm........... |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | The Bent Backed Tulips (Dramarama sessions where there were too many tracks to release under their own name) did a great cover of "Sweet Young Thing".
How many people remember "Elephant Parts".....long considered to be the first set of music videos Great film, showed the talents of Michael Nesmith extended way beyond wearing a beanie cap. But I always thought that the first set of music videos were the musical parts of "Help!" by the Beatles. The videos of "You're Gonna Lose That Girl", "Ticket To Ride", "Another Girl", "Hide Your Love Away" and "The Night Before" were all masterpieces. A very fun movie to watch, directed by Richard Lester and great performances by Victor Spinetti, Eleanor Bron, Leo Kern, and Roy Kinnear. The puns come fast and furious ... you really need to watch it several times to catch all the bits and parts. If you haven't seen it in a while (or ever), stonejoebobbo says check it out. BTW, it's rated G and extremely suitable for and loved by small children. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by stonebobbo:
BTW, it's rated G and extremely suitable for and loved by small children. Well, except maybe for the invoking of Kaili in the beginning. If you really listen to Leo Kern's lines concerning the blood sacrifice (that would be human blood), it's pretty graphic...
That said, this is one of my all-time favorite films. When I was a teen I actually recorded the entire soundtrack off tv on my reel-to-reel, so I could at least listen to it when I wanted.
Just another one of those films I never believed I would actually own, and be able to watch whenever I pleased. Like '2001'. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Good observation there, Bobbo . . .
But even THEY were pre-dated by the (albeit b&w) musical interludes from "AHardDay'sNight" . . .
I alway's like the scene of "I Should've Known Better" in the luggage car of the train . . . |
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February 2005
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Location: closely held secret | Gotta give Lennon credit. It takes real talent to play harmonica, guitar, sing and cheat at cards, all at the same time. |
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February 2002
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Location: Scotland | The Manson audition thing is an urban folk tale, never happened.
The Nesmith Live at The Britt Festival DVD is great, Jorgenson on guitar, Luis Conte on percussion and Red Rhodes on pedal steel, probably his last live appearance before he died. |
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June 2002
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Location: Phoenix AZ | It took a thread about the Monkees to get Temp back out of the closet. No surprise there. Dave |
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OT:Monkees audition
