Issue 58 by The Purple Flower Gang

Monkee Shines

The Purple Flower Gang Spring 2004 Issue 58

Monkee Shines Editor: Cindy Bryant with a little help from my friends, The Road Crew. Monkeeing around since 1987

Peter at the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1986 Photo by Cindy Bryant

Inside: Where Is Jones? Yellow Butterfly Personals Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dad Passes A Postcard From Talia Memories From The Ed Sullivan Show Stranger Things Have Happened Too Many Girls (DVD extras) On The Road Again Pen Pals

Personals E-pals Birthdays Theory Of Evolution Tork Says The Monkees Are Probably Over Plan B Shoe Suede Blues at The Jungle David News Peter News Micky News Mike News

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Table of Contents

Membership dues are $10 (US & Canada) and $15 (Overseas). Ads are $25 for a full page, $10 for half page, and $5 for a quarter page. Money orders are preferred. Cash at own risk. Make all payments payable to Cindy Bryant NOT the PFG. Mail to: The Purple Flower Gang, 1803 Lucas Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761.

Letter From The Editor 3 Personal Ads 4 Yellow Butterfly 5 Where is Jones? 6 Peter’s Dad’s Obituary 10 Postcard From Talia 12 The First Manufactured Band 13 It’s A Small World After All 16 Too Many Girls 18 On The Road Again 24 Pen Pals 27 Birthdays 28 E-Pals 29 Theory Of Evolution 30 Tork Says The Monkees Are Probably Over 31 Plan B (Micky in Aida 33 British Tour Canceled 36 David’s News 37 Micky’s News 38 Mike’s New 39 Peter’s News 40 Shoe Suede Blues at The Jungle 41 Jan Berry Dies 44

If you find a stamp in this area, your membership has expired with this issue. Please renew as soon as possible to assure your next issue. This is the only notice you will get.

My sincerest thanks to all who made this issue possible: The PFG Road Crew (Craig, Bonnie, & Hannah Borgh, Shane Worden, Kimmi Janvrin, Colleen Johnson, Tom & Janet Litterio and their understanding (?) families :-), Jan Chilton, Julie Harris, Pat Smith, Sarah Odendahl, Hazel & Ken Wilkinson, Talia Jones, David Jones, (thanks for the very kind words...keep laughing!, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith, and their families …..how much music, fun, travel, and friendship can one person stand!!!

Monkee Shines is printed by Mailboxes & Parcel Depot pfg@machlink.com

http://purpleflowergang.tripod.com/

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From the Editor! read by someone researching the Monkees phenomenon. Kind of cool huh? So please let us know when you see any of the guys. We would love your reviews and stories! We were sorry to learn that David’s British Tour got canceled at the last minute. Do not know all the details but apparently it had something to do with the promoter. I know the British fans were devastated as they rarely get a chance to see him and I know Hazel and the rest of David’s family were really looking forward to seeing him also. Hopefully something will be done to reschedule. Deb, keep us posted please! We lost another music icon this week with the death of Jan Berry. I was lucky enough to get to see Jan a few years ago. Although he was still struggling to over come injuries from his infamous car wreck, he was certainly a trooper, giving his all. I know his death will particularly touch David as they were once very close friends. Our thoughts go oout to his family. It looks like this summer could be an interesting one. Have fun and keep Monkeeing around!

Dear Gang, Lots of good things in this issue! Sometimes it is hard to get stuff on Peter, Micky, and Mike as they aren’t quite as available to us. But since everyone has been out there touring and performing there is lots to tell. Great interviews with everyone. Dr. Rock has informed me that he has finally completed his collection of Davy Jones’ 45s and has offered to write an extensive article for us. We’re looking forward to hearing from the Dr! Shane, having tried for years to get one of the Monkees to Oshkosh’s Waterfest unsuccessfully, is thrilled to announce they finally got….not one….not two...but THREE of the Monkees to perform individually. David will be there in June, Peter in July, and Micky in August! If you are going to attend let Shane know. He can give you all the info on the area and the shows. Did you know that Monkee Shines is available in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library Archives? So if you contribute a show review to us and we use it, some day in the future it could be

Cindy

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Shane, Looks like you hit the Triple Crown this summer! Good things come to those who wait! Cindy

Jawhknit: Was the drawbridge open or closed? Inquiring minds want to know Bawhknee

Hannah, Micky? MICKY? Whatever will your mama say? Auntie Cindy

Hey "Girls" Thanks so much for the surprise! It'll be hard to top, but where there's a will....

Jan, We’re getting you a map of the US for your birthday! Cindy and Shane

The "Sexy Beast" David, Peter and Micky!

Kimmi, I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request…..have another ear of corn! Mumsy

I'll see you at Waterfest!!! Have a good time! Shane

You can now find the words to over 200 of the Monkees songs….together and individually, on the PFG website and we will be added more ‘as we go along.’ Come visit us at: http//:purpleflowergang.tripod.c om

Cindy, I am now convinced that Leatherface is alive and well and living in my closet. Shane

Shane, Better than squirrels! I think? Cindy

Pajama party, anyone?:-)

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Yellow Butterfly written by Michael Nesmith From Tropical Campfires

The rain falls through Chicago skies People stare and wonder why And somewhere sails a yellow butterfly A jaguar circles in the night The jungle glistens by moonlight And somewhere sails a yellow butterfly All in all in all in all Like an island waterfall Days and nights revolve around Her flying, silent sound Mother wakes and Father turns A candle flame surreally burns And somewhere sails a yellow butterfly All in all in all in all Like an island waterfall Days and nights revolve around Her flying, silent sound Mother wakes and Father turns A candle flame surreally burns And somewhere sails a yellow butterfly A yellow butterfly A yellow butterfly A yellow butterfly

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Where is Jones? By: Bonnie Borgh “He’s no Davy Jones!” I found myself thinking about Fagin when Craig and I were watching “Oliver!” at the Ordway Theatre in downtown St. Paul on December 28. It was only the sixth time I’ve seen the play, but in complete honesty, it’s the first time I realized there really was a plot to it! The five previous times (July 3, 1993 “Oliver!” mid-day rehearsal, July 4, 1993 “Oliver!” performance and July 5, 1993 “Oliver!” performance at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri and the August 6, 1993 “Oliver!” performance and August 7, 1993 “Oliver!” performance at the Muny Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri) only threw a Monkee-wrench into the act. I was too preoccupied (blinded by the light, perhaps) to comprehend the actual storyline.

just pick a copyright or two.” Here is everything you always wanted to know about “Oliver!” but were afraid to ask: Oliver (The Story) “Oliver!’s” opening is the workhouse where Oliver Twist is quartered. Widow Corney, who runs the workhouse and Mr. Bumble, the parish beadle, serve gruel (Webster defines that as a thin porridge). Oliver is seized for asking for more (that’s food). Bumble leads Oliver to Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker, (The undertaker?!) who takes the lad as a “junior coffin follower”. Oliver

In fact, I even found a nice little summarization about “Oliver!” on page 4A (as opposed to 7A) in the Muny playbill. After I read it, I thought, “I couldn’t have said it better myself so I’ll 6

Monkee Shines runs away and is found by the irrepressible Artful Dodger (David’s first role on Broadway), who leads him to Fagin (that’s where the mind went wandering) and his school in pickpocketing. Oliver is captured, not for picking pockets, but for looking as if he had done so (guilty by association). In the Second Act the boys report that Oliver has been released and taken to the house of Mr. Brownlow, the rich old gentleman whose handkerchief had been stolen by another member of the gang (not to be confused with the Purple Flower Gang, of course). Fagin sends Nancy (Do you mean to tell me she was a…?) and Bill Sikes (what a low life) out to bring him back forcibly. Nancy and Sikes drag him off to Fagin’s, where the Dodger

is assigned to keep an eye on him. Bumble and Mrs. Corney discover that Oliver is really from a rich family and decide to try to get him back, but they are unsuccessful. Nancy attempts to return Oliver to his rich benefactor, but Sikes catches her and kills her. (I did hear a gun shot, I did!) Later, he himself is killed (and I thought this was a family show), and Oliver is returned to Mr. Brownlow, who, it happily turns out, is the lad’s own grandfather. (Who writes this stuff?) It was great to see “Oliver!” again, but “Where is Jones?” The actor who played the part of Fagin was tall and lanky. A view from the balcony is sometimes a good perspective (unless, of course, David is performing on stage). I pushed the rewind button in my mind back

David Jones as Fagin July 3, 1993 Starlight Theatre rehearsal

Monkee Shines ten years ago to when David played the part of Fagin on stage. I could still see him during the afternoon rehearsal at the Starlight Theatre aligning those handkerchiefs on the clothes line. What was he doing? Then I rewound the tape to forty years ago when David played the part of the Artful Dodger on Broadway. I could almost see and hear him dancing across the stage with the likes of Judy Garland in the audience! I came out of my Dream World. Unfortunately, David was not there this time. However, before the show, I was paging through the “Oliver!” playbill. There was an article entitled “The Many Faces of Oliver!” Included on page 15 were some Oliver! Fun Facts. There was a paragraph which read: Artists who have appeared as The Artful Dodger include: Phil Collins, Davy Jones (from The Monkees), Anthony Newley, Jack Wild. He was there in spirit and as a part of entertainment history. Above it was a paragraph which read: Artists who have appeared as Fagin include: Russ Abbott, Jim Dale, Roy Hudd, Barry Humphries, Robert Lindsay, Ron Moody, and Jonathan Pryce. This trivia lead me back to my initial inquiry...Where is Jones? Perhaps this will answer the question:

Words and Music by Lionel Bart Copyright 1960 SLASH 1968 Fagin You can go but be back soon. You can go, but while you’re working This place I’m pacing round Until you’re home safe and sound Fare thee well, but be back soon. Who can tell where danger’s lurking? Do not forget this tune Be back soon. Boys How could we forget? How could we let our dear old Fagin worry? We love him so we’ll come back home in oh, such a great big hurry. It’s him that pays the piper. It’s us that calls the tune. So long, fare thee well, Pip pip, cheerio. We’ll be back soon. We must disappear. We’ll be back here today, perhaps tomorrow. We’ll miss you too. It’s sad but true that parting is such sweet sorrow, And when we’re in the distance, You’ll hear this whispered tune, So long, fare thee well, Pip pip, cheerio. We’ll be back soon. Fagin Cheerio, but be back soon. I dunno, somehow I’ll miss you. I love you too. That why I say cheerio not goodbye.

Be Back Soon 8

Monkee Shines Oliver So long, fare thee well, Pip pip cheerio, We’ll be back soon. Boys So long, fare thee well, Pip pip, cheerio, We’ll be back soon. We must disappear. We’ll be back here today, perhaps tomorrow. We’ll miss you too. It’s sad but true that parting is such sweet sorrow. And when we’re in the distance you’ll hear this whispered tune. So long, fare thee well, Pip pip, cheerio. We’ll be back soon! Fagin Cheerio, but be back soon. I dunno, somehow I’ll miss you. I love you. That’s why I say cheerio, not goodbye.

Don’t be gone long. Be back soon. Give one one long last look, bless you. Remember our old tune. Be back soon. You can go, but be back soon. You can go, but bring back plenty Of wallets full of cash; Don’t want to see any trash. Whip’em quick, and be back soon. Only thick ones now, none empty. Get rich this afternoon. Be back soon. Boys Our pockets’ll hold a watch of gold that chimes upon the hour, A wallet fat, an old man’s hat, the jewels from the tower. We know the nosey p’licemen, But they don’t know this tune. So long, fare thee well, Pip pip, cheerio. We’ll be back soon. Fagin Cheerio, but be back soon. I dunno, somehow I’ll miss you. I love you. That’s why I say cheerio not goodbye. Don’t be gone long, be back soon. Give one one long last look, bless you. Remember our old tune. Be back soon. Boys And when we’re in the distance you’ll hear this whispered tune. “So long, fare thee well, Pip pip, cheerio. We’ll be back soon.”

The long and the short of this story is that in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, written in 1838, the orphan Oliver deals with many of the issues those reallife orphans had to deal with: life in a workhouse, pauper apprenticeship, and all-around mistreatment from those given his care. Dickens, through his writing, speaks out against such treatment and encourages social reform. And all this time I thought there must be a story in this somewhere. We’ll, I’ll be a Monkees’ uncle!

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Peter Torkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Father Passes Away On December 26, 2003 H. John Thorkelson

in Economics. After graduating, he worked for a year in industry, then entered the University of Wisconsin Graduate School in 1939. He worked as a civil servant in the Dept. of Agriculture and the Budget Bureau in Washington, D.C. from 1941-43, and for the Education Department of the United Auto Workers in Detroit from 1943-45. In 1945, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and commissioned a Second Lieutenant. He served in the Military Government in Berlin, Germany, from 1946-48, locating housing for many displaced persons. Returning to the University of Wisconsin, he completed his graduate work (and Virginia her undergraduate work) in 1950. The family then moved to Mansfield Center where he joined the faculty of the Economics Depart-

THORKELSON, H. John Halsten John Thorkelson, 86, died Friday, (December 26, 2003), following a brief illness. He was born May 3, 1917 in Madison, WI, to Halsten Joseph and Mary (Carver) Thorkelson. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 61 years, Virginia (Straus) Thorkelson, who died April 25, 2002. He leaves four children, Peter H., Nicholas A., John C. (Chris) and Anne E. Thorkelson; seven grandchildren, Hallie, Ivan, Eli, Molly, Cait, Ruby and Erica; two nieces, a nephew and other friends and relatives. He was educated in public schools in Madison, East Orange, N.J., and Kohler, WI, and attended Carleton College from 1934-38, receiving a B.A. with Honors 10

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ment at the University of Connecticut. Apart from a year in Venezuela (1963-64) as an economic planner for that government, and a year in Canada as faculty member at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina (196667), he remained in Connecticut the rest of his life. He taught at UConn until 1983. He was instrumental in the growth of the American Association of University Professors and the Federation of University Teachers, and was very active in organizing the Urban Semester Program. He was well-respected by colleagues and students alike, one of whom praised Dr. Thorkelson as the best of the economics faculty, citing

his "incredible breadth of knowledge." Another colleague said, "Thorkelson was an inspiring teacher." Always involved in social and community affairs, the couple continued to be active for many years after retirement, traveling, writing, and enjoying the company of their many family members and friends. A memorial is planned for the near future. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 99609-1113, or to Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust, P.O. Box 4, Mansfield Center, CT 06250.

Our sincerest condolences got out to Peter and his family. Our thoughts are with them.

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From Talia Jones We received this postcard from Talia on January 7, 2004.

Monkee Shines Thanks to Hazel for sharing this article David sent to her.

‘The first band with a manufactured image wasn’t the Monkees.

It was The Beatles!’ And he was there. Here’s what it was like to share the Ed Sullivan Stage on the most historic night in pop culture. By Jan Tuckwood Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

There’s Davy as the Dodger, singing I’ll Do Anything with the cast of Oliver!, prancing playfully, teasing his castmates, grabbing star Georgia Brown’s bum at song’s end. Any girl worth her hormones could plainly see: That man was a talented teen dream. Definitely worth a scream. But, alas, the girls didn’t pack the theater for Davy. They didn’t come for Frank Gorshin or “Two-Ton” Tessie O’Shea or Wells and the Four Fays. They came for four other British blokes who changed musical history that night—and also changed Davy

Davy Jones thought the girls were shrieking for him. After all, he was a Broadway star accustomed to the attention of hyperventilating stage-door Jennys. Plus, he was patently adorable. With that British accent, that cute face and devil may care Artful Dodger demeanor, Davy Jones was simply irresistible. he’s too humble to say that, of course, but just look at the DVD of the Ed Sullivan Show from Feb. 9, 1964;

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THE BRITISH INVASION (40 YEARS LATER) Jones’ career. “I grew up overnight.” says Jones, now 58, from his winter home in Indiantown. “It opened my eyes to the hysteria, the fan appreciation. I thought: Is that what happens when you’re a pop singer? I want to be part of that!” The Beatle’s famous appearance on Ed Sullivan also opened his eyes to something else: The power of packaging. “It was my introduction to the manufactured image,” he says. “the Beatles were the first band to be choreographed by a producer.” Obviously, John, Paul, Ringo, and George oozed talent. But how they sang was just one part of the hysteriainducing effect. The way they looked sealed the deal. The mop-top hair, the skinny suits, the little British boots. The way they bobbed their heads. “Do you think that happened by accident?” Jones asks. “of course not. It happened because Brian Epstein told them: Look this way, move your head this way, move your hair this way. This is how you’ve got to play the game.” The game, of course, made rock ‘n’ roll safe and accessible for teenage girls: The Beatles were no longer greasers. They were nice young men who simply wanted to hold your hand. “They were trying to express another side of what rock ‘n’ roll was,” says Jones, who met them backstage that night and found them friendly and humble. “Those suits, that hair, that look—that made them appear vulnerable. That vulnerability is what made them attractive.” Epstein targeted the Ed Sullivan Show “to introduce The Beatles to

__________ ‘Those suits, that hair, that look—that made them appear vulnerable. That vulnerability is what made them attractive.” DAVY JONES __________ America in the most family way,” then he stacked the audience with teen girls, pushed the scream button and let them loose. “It was a masterpiece shot shown all over the world,” says Jones, and it had an immediate effect on his life. Already, Jones was part of the British invasion happening in New York theater in 1964. He had left England and a promising career as a jockey to star in Oliver! Fellow Brits Anthony Newley and Dudley Moore had hit shows at the same time. They were already running around the stage in jaunty, black boots. Then, in one brilliant stroke, The Beatles took the British Invasion to the masses. After Feb.9, 1964, people started looking at Jones in an entirely new way. He wasn’t just a stage actor. He was a gorgeous hunk of prime-time, pop-singing potential. “The next wee, I went to a concert at Carnegie Hall, and I heard someone say: “look! There’s Dave Clark’s brother!” he remembers. “I went straight from there to Columbia. Within a week I was recording with a full orchestra.” Soon he was on TV as the cute

Monkee Shines member of the Monkees, a direct takeoff of The Beatles. By 1966, Davy launched teen shrieks heard ‘round the world. In fact, it was Davy Jones and The Monkees— not The Beatles—who sold more copies of 16 Magazine than any other band. Derided by the press as the “prefab four,” The Monkees went on to record dozens of hit songs and sustain lifelong careers based on the power of that two-year TV show. A choreographed, styled, televised image worked for The Monkees in 1966 just as it worked for The Beatles in 1964. “The first band with a manufactured image wasn’t The Monkees,” he says. “It was The Beatles.” there he said it. And with not a trace of bitterness. He was there that famous night. He saw the ultimate pop moment unfold before his eyes. “when I saw them on Ed Sullivan, I realized what show-biz packaging was for the first time.” When The Monkees became famous, Jones got to know The Beatles personally and developed “a great appreciation for what they did.” Their claim to fame ws not the Ed Sullivan Show. It’s what came later. And what’s come later for Davy Jones? He still tours, still packs houses with screaming fans, who are now pushing 50 and desperately hanging on to the object of their teen affection. He hosts The Royals on A&E. He fills the theater at Epcot at Disney World every April for the Flower & Garden Festival (this year he performs there April 1619). Right now, he’s up to my ears” in horse poop out in Indiantown, where he keeps 10 racehorses. One of those, Indiantown Jones, raced in Tampa last weekend and is being readied for a run at Gulfstream Park. He is often spotted in Stuart or West Palm Beach. The other day at the mall he

heard somebody say: “Hey isn’t that Michael Douglas?” Then he went into a store and some guy asked him: “Aren’t you Desi Arnaz?” “And I said, ‘Which one? Junior or Senior?” Jones laughs. He’s funny. Quick with the quip. That well-known wit (and his Brit status) has gotten some new attention from L.A. producers, who note there’s a 2004 British invasion in the works, thanks to Simon Cowell and American Idol. They’ve asked Jones to think about taking on some Cowell-like projects, but he’s not sure. “I don’t know if I want to criticize people at this point in my life,” he says. “I’m going into the Frank Sinatra/ Perry Como phase of my career.” He chuckles at the American Idol phenomenon. How strange it is that after 40 years, another dark haired British guy—this time, the acerbic Cowell— has captured the world’s attention by turning kids like Clay Aiken into scream-worthy superstars? Clay’s sweet. Wholesome. Talented. Vulnerable. And you know, Jones reminds you: “That’s what people like.”

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A Small World After All Alternate Title: Stranger Things Have Happened! By Shane Worden

A funny thing happened to me at the dentist office today....but first, some backstory.

work, my sister was talking with me one day and tells me that she knows some people who were at the same concert in Milwaukee that I was at. As my sister's story has it, the mother of the owner of the restaurant where SHE works at and her fiancee were in at her work a couple of days prior, and were talking with the owner about this Peter Tork/James Lee concert, and that they had ran into somebody who had been at the same show at the Pioneer (my employer). Immediately my sis knew that this was me they were talking about. How could it not be? So, the coincidence grows a little bigger...not only were we at the same show, but this lady's son ALSO runs the restaurant where my sister works!!!

As you may recall, shortly after our trip to see David in Palos Hills a few years ago, I made a solo trip to Milwaukee to see Peter Tork and James Lee Stanley perform at Shank Hall a few days later as a part of their "Once Again" tour. It was a good show, but unfortunately James was suffering from a nasty bout with the flu, and was in less than top form, but I give him credit for showing up and giving it the old college try all the same....but I am getting off the story.... Back at my job, the Sunday following that trip to Milwaukee, I was approached by a couple during our Sunday brunch and was asked if I was at the Peter Tork concert earlier that week. Wow! This couple had been at the same show, right in the front row where I was, in fact, and had recognized me. What an interesting coincidence that was....but wait...this gets better.

Okay, so that was good for a few laughs. And I thought that was the end of it. Until today. I happen to be wearing one of my Monkees T-shirts today. No rhyme or reason for it, really. It just happened to be first on my stack of shirts in my dresser today, so I just happened to pick it out. The guys certainly weren't the first

Shortly after THAT encounter at 16

Monkee Shines thing on my mind. I had two very big cavities to get taken care of today, and I was really dreading going in and getting those shots of novacane. My old dentist isn't covered on my insurance plan at work, so I had to choose a new guy, and really wasn't too familiar with him just yet.

Monkees songs in the band over the years, and proceeded to pull out his copy of the Monkees "Greatest Hits" CD, and played it in the office while I was getting my work done today. This guy is really knowledgeable, too, on the history of the Monkees. He even knew all about HEAD. Absolutely amazing.

Anyway, I get to the dentist--they take me into their cavernous dungeon right away, the dental assistant shackles me to the chair, and as she goes to get the dentist, laughing an evil, slobbering laugh I wonder to myself if I am ever going to see the light of day again. Shortly after, the dentist comes in the room, shakes my hand and then gives me a very questioning, speculative look. I look back at him, pleading with my eyes: "Please, doctor, don't kill me! I'm too young to die!" And then he says "I've seen you somewhere before." Can you guess where this story is going? Can you say hat trick?

I still can't believe this story....if it really hadn't have happened to me, I'd say it was impossible. And the best part is, I gotta go back for the next couple of Tuesdays and get some wisdom teeth pulled. Woohoo! (I think.) The Monkees are the best anesthetic known to man.

Yup. My dentist was the guy who had recognized me from that Peter Tork concert that Sunday at work. It took the Monkees T-shirt to get his memory juices flowing, but once he mentioned it, there was no question about it. The neat part about this story today is that my dentist plays in a band when he isn't working, and one of the guys in his band is apparently a big Monkees fan--he was the one who took them to the Tork concert in the first place. According to the dentist, they've played quite a few 17

Monkee Shines David’s narrative, but I also enjoyed listening to all of the others, too. They provided a different insight SLASH perspective into the Monkees’ phenomenon. I loved Peter’s remark when he was narrating “The Pilot”. In the episode, Davy was told (he recalls by Mike Elliott) not to keep his mouth open when kissing the character, Vanessa. Did he? Of course not!

Too Many Girls Dialogue By: David Jones Transcribed By: Bonnie Borgh One of the great unexpected bonus features of The Monkees Season 1 and Season 2 on DVD compilation box sets is that David Jones, Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork [as well as directors (James Frawley and Bob Rafelson), songwriter (Bobby Hart), guest star (Brian Auger), editor (Gerry Sheppard) offer their memories about the episodes. Also included are interviews from Billie Hayes, Ruth Buzzy, and Butch Patrick. There are also a variety of Kellogg’s commercials and some vintage Monkees’ film footage from NBC news. Also featured are some clips from The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour show.

If you have not yet purchased The Monkees Season 1 and Season 2 on DVD, I would highly recommend you do. In the meantime, pop “Too Many Girls” into your VCR and read this while you sit back and enjoy the show. You’ll be glad you did!

“The mind is unable to discern between the real and the vividly imagined experience.” It is as if one is watching the episodes with the Monkees themselves present to offer remarks about the shows. It is a great opportunity for “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “why”, and “how” questions to be answered. I really enjoyed listening to and typing 18

Monkee Shines Live: Aaaah...Yeah…(laughing) That’s interesting. Hey this is Davy Jones here, and that was the greatest. You know, when they turned the cameras off, all of these instruments were all set up so that was our opportunity to rehearse. The first series, you know, it was pretty intense because we really didn’t have a lot of time to rehearse, but well into the first season we started to tour, and it became very time consuming to rehearse every opportunity we got. And we used to do it when the filming was stopped, they would hook up, they’d hook up and play, you know, it was great. It gave us, you know, instant…

me, and said, you know, I really believe you should have this. So I have that original bass. I see that electrified skate board, look at that, electrified, motorized, skateboard, that’s unbelievable and now they have handles on them. And that’s something else they’ve invented forty years later, thirty-five years later. And these guys, Dave Evans, great writer, Caruso, Dee Caruso and Gerald Gardner, were very very good writers and were well known in the business. We got a lot of great writers, yeah, a lot of great writers. The outdoor thing also, we shot a lot of stuff in Burbank at the, on location, at the studio. I think this was one of my favorite episodes, too. It got me a chance to do a little dancing and singing, and in fact, the girl that taught me during the course of the show, she might pop up, I’m not quite sure, I’ll let you know when. She, if you look at her, is very/ was very big in the business at the time, and she actually did a lot of choreography for the Elvis’ movies, and I think when you see her, you’ll remember her, next time you look at an Elvis movie, you look, and you’ll find her there. I think she did the Jailhouse Rock thing, I’m not sure, which was a classic, wasn’t it? (Cindy and I remember that one! It’s where the whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang.) And the shirts. Look at

I don’t know about that idea folks. It’s great. Where are all they all coming from? My goodness gracious. It’s cute, you know, I mean, girls and romance and love, that’s what it was all about. I think that guitar there, Mike, that twelve string guitar, unfortunately, at one of the shows it was taken, and it’s somewhere out there in the world. In fact, when they built that guitar for Mike, they also built me a bass, which was a Gretsch bass, and it was a smaller version of a bass because holding a very big bass like that looked ridiculous for me, and I, in the late 60’s gave it away to a friend. A number of years back, my friend presented it back to 19

Monkee Shines the Monkee western four-button down your front shirts. Gene Ashman designed that, but it’s kind of a spin off of the western look you know, that whole John Wayne cowboy thing. And we bought all of our clothes. We got a lot of clothes, in fact, just from just around the corner from the studio, it was a boutique that had opened. In the beginning, they used to, you know, loan us the clothes, and we’d take them back. And then it came that we would go in there, and we would buy. In fact, I remember taking the whole of the Wolverhampton Wanderer’s soccer team that was visiting America into that particular shop and outfitted them all. Don’t ask me. They were visiting America, and I was kicking a ball around with them. The paisley and the different colored shirt and different colored collar. I mean those things, you know, people were doing it.

vester, and Lester Sill, and sitting there, and he walked in. He said, “Uh, I can’t stay for here long. I’ve got to do some work, you know.” He was under contract at the time actually to Colpix Records, as I was, and you know, he was kind of pinned for the part, as I was, too. Well, you know, it’s all the fun of the fair, you know. We all had our moments, and you know, looking back and thinking about them now, you know, it was, I think these guys were the brothers I never had, really, tell you the truth, you know, helpful and caring, and you know, at the time we spent, you know, so many hours a day on the set together. This is a great character actress. He has the world in his hands, if only he’d known it. You’re not a little Girl Scout, come on. Underneath that real Girl Scout, is a real Girl Scout. Got the cookies, though. I love those cookies actually. Don’t you love those cookies? I love the chocolate ones. Chocolate on one side and then biscuits. I always buy those cookies. (My favorites are the Thin Mints and the Peanut Butter Patties! When I sold them, I think they were .50 cents to a $1.00. Now they’re $3.00 a box.)

And the old wool hat there all the time. I don’t know why he...Well, actually, I do know why he wore the wool hat. In fact, he was wearing it the first time I met him when he walked into Colpix (You say “Cullpicks”, I say “Coalpicks”) Records on Cahuenga (You say “Kawanga”, I say “Cawhongah”) Boulevard, this side of the hill, and he walked in with a wool hat and a bag of laundry over his shoulder. There was myself, Ward Syl-

Look at that. I’m sort of like Star Trekky. That set will be worth designing again that one. 20

Monkee Shines I think I’ll recreate that one. I like that. Ya, he’s got like string thing there, like a Mexican string leather clothes off sort of macho Daniel Boone thing happening there. It was great, you know. We all had these different styles, and Peter, you know, you saw his belt buckle, of course, he always had the belt buckle on the side.

family, you know, the way it was supposed to be. Unbelievable. This is out at the Columbia lot. David Price has got my look alike shirt on. David Price I came in contact with years later, and he stayed in LA. He was from Texas also. He was one of Mike’s friends. We got a lot of our friends involved in stand ins and doubles, and all that kind of stuff. Yeah we helped a lot of people during those days.

She was actually a good actress, this girl. It’s great. She was very talented. Very clever. Blinded by the light. I think that’s what we were most of the time, actually, tell you the truth. Isn’t she good? She’s so good. And the hair, that’s when they started curling it under, and got longer, and I think I should have stuck with that little boyish look. (You still have it.) I think this is the first season. Wow. It got long awfully quick. I wish it grew that quick these days. Oh yeah, that was a great series, too. Oh my good...Cliff, is it Cliff Robinson? No, it’s not Cliff Robinson. It’s uh, what’s that guy, wow. I know Daniel Boone lives in Santa Barbara, but that guy was such a, he was so busy that actor.

Hello. She’s so good this woman, this girl. [My name is David Jones, and I think I Love You] Uh, so that’s where the title came from. That Cassidy again. Wow, I wonder whether they, they didn’t frost it out then. I don’t think it’s even that sort of revealing. Reading tea leaves, unbelievable. I remember this one also because I got a chance to have a little dancing and singing. Look I’m getting my Mike Nesmith sideburns, here. They’re coming down quick, mind you, they come down from the top of my head, not sort of on my face.

All right. Now the map. Talking to the camera, there you go, you know. I’m sure it was done before, but it was sort of like it wasnew for that kind of generation. It was sort of like Leave It To Beaver, My Three Sons, Father Knows Best. They were all pretty straight forward—

Oh, she’s got her high heels on there. I don’t think that was, oh oh, the strength, on my goodness, I’m looking at the camera. That’s great. The guys are gonna miss me, I know. You’ll miss me when I’m gone. Mr. Hack. 21

Monkee Shines Fern and Davy. The guy in front, that was with the headset and the whole thing, he looked a lot like the guy from Batman, Robin, you know the guy that played Robin, and I remember going up and doing the (Batman phrases), and he looked at me as if I was crazy. Oh, and that was Micky’s girlfriend there at the time, yeah.

I noticed that actually...I mentioned earlier that the choreographer was in the Elvis movies, I was just thinking maybe she was not in the show itself, but she was the one that...She taught us a whole dance to do with this. Oh yeah, she was in the yeah, the Cuddly Toy, that was where she was, yeah, yeah, yeah but I do think she choreographed something we did here. We had a whole dance worked out. I got taller than her all of a sudden. Did I? Wasn’t I shorter than her? As the series went on, I grew.

Oh, this, (laughing) I do this on the stage now, this gag, all the time. So funny. That’s one of the funniest, funniest gags, oh dear. I love this. (laughing) We were loving this, too. (laughing) Oh, dear, Peter. Ah, the astonishing Pietro. Billy Roy Hodstetter. Hey, listen to this. Linda Ronstadt’s first hit, this was, Different Drum. That was great, well you know, I mean, the producers didn’t want The Monkees to do it, I guess, so he took it somewhere else, and there it was. Maybe it didn’t work like that. Maybe he just took it straight to her. Locksley (Mendoza). Over here camera (laughing). Oh dear. You know, Micky sort of came out of, you know, retirement to be in The Monkees, he had gone to college. It’s my favorite. (laughing) Oh Micky. Locksley Mendoza?

This is interesting, you know. Every time I see them, I see different things. SDRAWKCAB. He couldn’t say it at the beginning. Oh my goodness gracious. It’s so funny. Wow, here we come. We were given those guitars, you know, Gretsch was a sponsor, and so Gretsch drums, Gretsch guitars, and things. I’m not sure, it was just sort of like, so you know, the gifts, and the Gretsch pianos, and you know, they were quite well sought after because they have a certain sound. Ah, the VOX piano and the amplifiers, too. When we did our live concerts, we came out of these big speakers which were massive versions of little VOX speakers, and that was our entrance onto the stage when we did our live shows. And I think

Oh dear. Sabotage, huh? That little thing was one of our things where we always used to shake hands and hit each in the nose or hit our noses, it was like, 22

Monkee Shines the riffs were all sort of, very important in our music, so those little catchy bits, you know, that the piano or the guitar would play. And records in those days were only about two minutes and thirty seconds you know. I think the longest record that every came out there all of a sudden there was a four minute Bob Dylan record, and people went, “What? No way they’ll play that on the radio.” but they did, and I guess music goes on.

Don’t ask me what that was all about. (laughing) It’s unbelievable. I mean, it goes fast. It goes so fast. Ah, dear me. I think The Monkees should have won that. I think we were far better than Fern and Davy. Micky’s impersonations. Yeah, well, we all went on to do what we did, you know. He’s still doing what he’s doing, and Peter, he’s always, he’s always conjuring something up, and Mike Nesmith, well, he’s the man of mystery, you know, but hey, they say, “Once a Monkee, always a Monkee.” You know, hopefully, it will all end up with smiles and laughter as it always did at the end of the week there when we shot the Monkees’ show. We had such a great time. I wish you all could have been there. (Heavy sigh. Me too, but “Thanks for the memories…”)

But I’m A Believer, I guess was a very recognizable song, you know, for the Monkees, a massive hit all around the world, written by Neil Diamond. It’s interesting about the music in the show, all the songwriters at the time, in the ‘65 and early ‘66 were fighting for the jobs because a lot of the bands coming out of England and America we writing their own material so therefore the songwriters that normally were responsible for the artist’s material were no longer able to present them because these guys wanted to do their own, and the Monkees got all these great writers to write music for them, and you know, we were hired as entertainers to take part in a tv show about a rock and roll band, so, it wasn’t something that we were supposed to end up being a band. It was fiction really, but it became fact because we did over two hundred concerts. We had great material, you know. 23

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“On the Road Again” By Sarah Odendahl Ever since Sweetest Day in Lockport, (thanks again Janet!), we have been eagerly awaiting the next big event...Valentines Day with David Jones! Now I haven’t been lucky enough to participate in a road trip with the PFG road crew, but there is a small group that has met over the years and we have done some traveling together. I’ll let you in on a little secret... we (okay me) are directionally challenged. But we don’t let that stop us from getting to see David Jones. Our first trip together was to Michigan during the blackout in August of 2003. We faced deadlocked traffic, a car fire, periods of intense rain and a one-hour time change we forgot about. All was well though as we arrived in time and wound up standing at David’s feet literally during the show.

Michigan! (Too much chit chat but what do you expect from five women!) We finally rolled into the hotel at 5 p.m. and managed to get all of us ready in time for the show. David mentioned the long, flat drive from Toledo where they drove in from. I wish! Feeling all positive we set out for the theatre less than five miles away promptly getting lost and sliding into our seats with five minutes to spare. (Whew!) The Ritz Theatre was beautiful! The ceilings had gorgeous art on them and dazzling chandeliers. Soon the lights were dimmed and the band started introducing themselves. Finally Mr. Jones himself was on the stage. Wearing a pink shirt in honor of Valentines Day he looked pumped for the night. He and the band ALWAYS put on a great show, but from the moment they came on the stage you could just feel the energy from them. David turned to the band and mentioned they were supposed to do the new intro they decided on the 2004. Sandy said he had a new intro and started playing Elvis’ intro. David treated us to his impersonation of Elvis causing hearts to palpitate all over the venue! After some more chat they launched into “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You”, “Valerie” and

Feeling bolstered by the end result of our first trip we armed ourselves with map quest and an atlas and set out on the road again. Destination... Tiffin, OH. at the Ritz Theatre. In high spirits the five of us left early from a suburb outside of Chicago, IL. positive we had left enough time to reach our hotel by 3 p.m. and plenty of time to get ready for an 8 p.m. show. We would have made it too if we hadn’t taken that detour into 24

Monkee Shines “Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow”. The audience was clapping and singing along.

earning hearty laughter all around! “Bright Side of the Road” had a little update with some extra vocals provided by Aviva at the end of the song. I found her voice very pleasant. This was followed by “Nice to Be With You”, “Papa Gene Blues” and “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone”. Too soon we heard the familiar opening notes of “Daydream Believer”. At David’s invitation we all sang along with gusto that made up for our lack of tempo! David left the stage and came back to sing “No Time”, then left again. Teasing us he comes back once more to end with “I’m a Believer” in which I nearly suffered a head injury while my daughter bugalooed along with David! (Do I get a medal if I am injured in the line of duty?)

“Bill Smart” was there again and got his request for “Wasted Days, Wasted Nights”. I know that I can never tire of hearing “Daydream Believer”, but I also enjoy immensely hearing him perform other songs including both those he wrote and those he hasn’t. Through David’s non-Monkees related songs I know my daughter, and I am sure others have been exposed to music that they might not have otherwise experienced. “Wasted Days, Wasted Nights” was followed by “Girl”, “Is You Is” and “She Hangs Out”. When we arrived at the part of the show where he sings from “Oliver” he doffed a top hat and performed a medley. I wish I could sing and dance at the same time that well! Soon we slowed slightly with “I Wanna Be Free” and “Love You Forever” which always brings tears to my eyes. Then he told the audience that the widow of Tommy Boyce was in the audience after coming to visit him and he would sing a song for her. He and the band launched into a song that I would LOVE to see remain an item on the play list! “New York City” was a lively song that perked up (not that we needed it) the audience and the band seemed to have fun with. Continuing the light-hearted mood, David pulled out a goody bag that he had received. One item it contained was a purple monkey. When it was turned on it made monkey sounds and then kissing noises

There was some new shtick as well as our favorites such as Dave Alexander doing his impression of Meatloaf and as Edith and Archie with Sandy. The brass section had some new choreography that elicited laughter even during such moments as “Love You Forever”. (Yes I am guilty.) Dave Alexander and Aviva had times where we heard more from them vocally. Sam had two saxophone solos that brought him to the front of the stage for a better view. Overall the show stayed with the core we know and love, but added some variety that made the show a little different for those of us who have seen it before. It is like a well loved blanket or piece of clothing that you wash. It is still the same 25

Monkee Shines but with a fresh scent!

Shane!) He has given me the memories of singing “Daydream Believer” with my daughter that I can hold onto when she is a teenager and I can’t understand a word of the music she is listening to. Most of all for that David I thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul.

While I didn’t get a chance to use the signal “Oooh Oooh” for an encounter with the Major Babe I was well satisfied with the night and “Jonesin” for my next time! It seems to me that we all come back to the same theme that I can’t hear enough, even though I can’t seem to put it in the right words in person all the time. Through David’s performances our lives are enriched not only by the sharing of his music and time, but by the people we meet at these events. I have people that I met through David’s shows that I have known for years and those shorter. (It was great to meet you in Lockport Cindy and

To wrap it up, we got home uneventfully (without getting lost once) and were able to have lunch with Janet to share all the details. On the next trip we are playing it safe and flying, but we will drive again. See you in Disney guys!

Photo Courtesy of Sarah Odendahl

Monkee Shines

Write to your favorite Monkee at:

Davy Jones PO Box 400 Beavertown, PA 17180

Susan Bragga 4222 West Robin Meadows Lane Eau Claire. WI 54701

Peter Tork 524 San Anselmo Suite 102 San Anselmo, CA 94960 Micky Dolenz DP Productions 15030 Ventura Blvd Suite 812 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Maria Tereza Pinho Gomes Da Silva Rua Virginia Vidal No 59 Tanque Rio De Janiero RJ Cep22.735-080 Brazil

Mike Nesmith Video Ranch 8 Harris Court Suite C1 Monterey, CA 93940

Diane Scharp 14850 Phelps Drive Bridgeton, MO 63044

Jenny Hersey 31 Prescott Street Apt. 23 Concord, NH 03301

Debbie Kolbaba PO Box 89 Holstein, IA 51025

Beverly Ann Clark 2710 Crestmont Drive Garland, TX 75040

James Elswick 5017 W 2nd Street South Bloomfield, OH 43103

Christina Gautreaux 1221 11th Street Lot 5 Dewitt, IA 52742

Kathy Brewer 1198 Turkey Blind Road Crossville, TN 38572

Diane Klosak 2101 Nicholas Ct Bettendorf, IA 52722

Colleen Johnson 9104 Lemona Drive St. Louis, MO 63123

Rick Schwinden 3275 Valley Ridge Drive Egan, MN 55121

Susan Jensen 210 Washington Street Audubon, IA 50025-1133

Ronda Russell 2031 Glen Avenue Beloit, WI 53411

Shane Worden 306-A Waugoo Avenue Oshkosh WI 54901 27

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April

8 9 10

Jan Berry Jeff Barry 5 Coco Heinzelmann 6 Phil Leeds Michelle Phillips 9 Carl Perkins Julie Harris 12 David Cassidy Tiny Tim 13 Diane (Hildebrand) Roland-Skye 14 Shorty Rogers 17 Don Kirshner 18 Alex Singer 19 Mark Volman 20 Monte Landis 22 Jack Nicholson Glen Campbell 26 Donna Lee Bacalla Bobby Rydell 29 Tommy James 30 Bobby Vee

12 14 16 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 29 31

June 1 2 3 6 7 11 15 16 17

May 2 3

Brendan Cahill Tommy Roe Fats Domino Donovan Bill Chadwick Lek Leckenby Martha Magruder Pete Townsend Susan Cowsill Cher Trina Dolenz Cindy Bryant Bob Dylan Jenny Hersey Billy Beck Rick Schwinden Samantha Juste

Johnny Ware Leslie Gore Bert Schneider 28

Ron Wood Pat Boone Charlie Watts Janet Litterio Gary U.S. Bonds Tom Jones Mary Ann Hart Harry Nilsson John Franklin Ken Wilkinson

Monkee Shines 18 20 21 22 25 26

Paul McCartney Brian Wilson Ray Davies Howard Kaylan Hank Cicalo Annabel Jones

13 18 21 22

July 1 2 3 6 7 12

24 25 26

Ron Masak Noam Pilik Kelly Jean Peters Winton Teel Sarah Jones McFaden Jerry Blavat Pat Paulson Ringo Star Peter Meyerson

30 31

Joel Higgins Roger McGuinn Brian Auger Dion DiMucci Barry Whitwam Bobby Sherman Stanley Ralph Ross Ruth Buzzi Emily Dolenz Mick Jagger Deborah Kolbaba Phyllis Nesmith Paul Anka Gary Lewis

Email Pals

Maria Tereza Pinho Gomes Da Silva: terezalennon@openlink.com.br Shane Worden: idolthreat@prodigy.net Janet Litterio: janet6356@juno.com Barbara Woerner: Wbwoerner@aol.com If you would like your email address listed in Email Pals please let me know. 29

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Theory of Evolution By: Bonnie Borgh Did you know that Jack Wild and David Jones are related as defined in our “Theory of Evolution”? Jack Wild played the part of The Artful Dodger in the 1968 movie “Oliver!” Jack Wild also started in the television series “HR Pufnstuf” in the early 1970’s along with Billie Hayes. Billie Hayes played the part of “Ma” in The Monkees’ episode of “Hillbilly Honeymoon”. Therefore, Jack Wild and David Jones are Monkee related!

Jack Wild

According to my husband, Craig, there is even a “Lord of the Rings” connection! Elijah Wood who played Frodo in the “Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy played the Artful Dodger in the Walt Disney movie version of “Oliver Twist”! Of course, David Jones played the part of the Artful Dodger on Broadway in 1963. Therefore, Elijah Wood and David Jones are also Monkee related. [I think…] Elijah Wood 30

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Tork Says Monkees Are Probably Over By Bill DeYoung

the shows with us, it was exciting," says the 62-year-old Tork. "It was great to work on the road with those guys -- particularly as time wore on, they got to be funnier and funnier, and easier to work with." Nesmith had previously refused to indulge in Monkees nostalgia -- he'd always been the Monkee most offended by their "manufactured" past and the attendant rock-media scorn -- and the other three had worked without him for years. The British tour was a commercial and critical smash. However, when promoters started clamoring for a U.S. jaunt, Nesmith balked. "I don't know how he came to be this way," Tork says, "but the poor boy basically can't work with anybody else. He has learned over the years to allow other people into his orbit, which only means that he is now in control of a larger crew than he ever had before. "He didn't want to work with the Monkees anymore. The reason he didn't come back to America with us was that when he joined the operation, he made sure it was his way or the highway. But even that wasn't enough for him. I don't think he had enough control." The Monkees' legacy is a spotty one. Hired in 1966 to por-

March 26, 2004 Don't hold your breath waiting for another Monkees reunion. Although the prefab four toured to great success in the '80s and '90s, Peter Tork says things are a bit dicier these days. "I don't think about doing it again much," Tork offers by phone from his home in California. "If the occasion arose, I would have to look at the offer." Tork and his band Shoe Suede Blues will perform Sunday at the Stuart ArtsFest. All four original Monkees -- Tork, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and even longtime holdout Michael Nesmith -- played together on a 1997 tour of England. "When Michael did do 31

Monkee Shines tray four "American Beatles" in an NBC sitcom, the four had never met before; their music was an afterthought and performed by studio musicians. For their early hits -- the chart-topping "Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer" among them -they didn't play any music, just mimed to their pre-recorded vocals on the TV show. Musicians both, Nesmith and Tork bristled at the heavy-handed "music supervision" of Don Kirshner, who chose the songs they'd record, and when it came out in the press that the Monkees weren't a "real" band, they got mad. When the records started to sell in the millions, and the power was theirs, they had Kirshner fired. Hindsight reveals that many Monkees recordings rank with some of the greatest '60s pop used studio pros on "Pet Sounds," and nobody came after Brian Wilson with an ax to grind. From "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" to the landmark albums "Headquarters" and "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd." (both recorded by the Monkees themselves, augmented by studio players) there are some great records in the canon. "I would have liked to see (the music) produced a bit more heavily," Tork says, "but part of the TV producers' brief was 'Don't scare the parents.' They tried to walk a very fine line, and I think

they did a pretty good job of it. I'd like to have seen the whole thing go on a little longer, but them's the breaks." Indeed, Tork was the first to break camp, in 1968, after the cancellation of the TV show and the Monkees' disastrously received movie "Head." "You know the expression 'received wisdom'?" he says. "The received wisdom on it (the band) was that it was a lower-value effort because it was structured and cast as characters in a TV show. "It was highly structured as a project -- and the received wisdom was that that was a lower value than what seemed to be spontaneous projects, which meant the Beatles. They were spontaneous; we were structured. "I didn't know then what I know now -- that all great careers have a really nasty lull in the middle. I wish I had, then I might have stuck with it longer, and it might have come back." Tork, whose new band plays a lot of heavy blues, along with rock 'n' roll classics and a smattering of Monkees hits, has very definite thoughts on the Monkees' catalogue. "The best Monkees music ever generated was 'Riu Chiu,' an acapella song in medieval Spanish that we did on the Christmas episode," he says. "It shows up on a couple of the 'Missing Links' CDs. "It's an astounding piece of music. As far as I'm concerned it's just amazing. We sang it 32

Monkee Shines live to camera. “ "I love 'Goin' Down,' which we did spontaneously in the studio. I think 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' is the best single we put out. And I thought 'Words' was a very, very good piece of pop music. And we did it justice." (For the record, Tork -who didn't do a lot of lead singing in the group -- plays piano on "Daydream Believer" and banjo on "You Told Me," among many other great songs, and took the colead on "Shades of Grey" and "Words.") A recurring role in the

'90s sitcom "Boy Meets World" (as Topanga's hippie dad) almost led to a rekindling of his acting career, but Tork says he thought better of it. "The truth is that I got off as an actor maybe once or twice in acting class," he says. "I get off as a musician every time I'm up there. “ "When the rewards are greater and the price is way lower . . . let's see, a lot of trouble and a few rewards, or not as much trouble and a lot of rewards . . . let me think here . . . gosh. I can't figure it out."

‘Plan B’ Now Finds ex-Monkee Dolenz in Broadway ‘Aida’ By Mark Kennedy (Associated Press)

New York—Micky Dolenz studied architecture in college and was fully prepared for a life planning buildings—not rock ’n’ roll immortality—even though he was auditioning for television shows between classes. “I figured if architecture didn’t work out, I could fall back on show biz,” he says with a laugh. “That was Plan B: acting and singing.” Plan A, though quickly faded when he nailed an audition in 1966 to join “The Monkees,” a TV comedy based on the antics of a rock

group modeled after the Beatles. Dolenz could see the blueprints on the wall. “I’m not a fool. I knew the power and possibility of a series on television,” he says. “And the train just took off.” It would be “The Last Train To Clarksville.” Still, there’s more than a little architecture in his latest project: the role of the scheming Prime Minister Zoser in “Aida,” Disney’s cartoony take on the Verdi opera. Zoser, after all, has a thing for building pyramids. 33

Monkee Shines “Yeah,” Dolenz says after considering the matter. “I guess in the end I’ve managed to combine both those dreams.” Dolenz, 58, joins co-stars Michelle T. Williams of Destiny’s Child, Will Chase and Lisa Brescia in the Broadway version of “Aida,” the Tony Award winning musical with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice. The rock musical tells the story of a love triangle between Aida, a Nubian princess forced into slavery; Amneris, an Egyptian princess; and Radames, the soldier they both love. Dolenz, who has been with a touring version of the show for six months, plays Radames’ father, contributing songs like “Another Pyramid” and “Like Father Like Son.” “It’s been an incredible opportunity for me to do something that is so—I mean, God love the Monkees—different,” Dolenz says. “There is nothing like getting out there on a legitimate stage and having to really pull it off.” Dolenz, who as a boy starred in the TV show “Circus Boy,” is no stranger to the musical stage, having previously toured with the companies of “Grease,” “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum,” “The Point,” and “Tom Sawyer.” He also wrote the book for, and directed, “Buggsy Malone” for the London stage. Yet even some of his friends didn’t know he had the musical chops for “Aida.” “No one does,” he replied cheerily. “And to some degree I

didn’t know. There wasn’t anything that I did in my life professionally that demanded that kind of singing.” Paul J. Smith, the show’s production stage manager who previously worked with Dolenz in “Grease” says the performer has a voice as powerful as his ego is small. “There’s no question he wants to be part of the company. He doesn’t want to be Micky Dolenz in ‘Aida.’ He wants to be right in the character,” Smith says. “He is not at all a diva.” Looking back, Dolenz sees a connection between his current work and the one that forever will be linked with his name—the Monkees, whose albums and TV show were chart toppers in the late 1960’s. “The Monkees, in a way, was a musical on televison,” he says. “Like a Broadway show, you can’t fake it onstage—you actually have to sing and you actually have to play.” Well, not in the beginning. The Monkees—Prefab Four, as they were called—were the brainchild of Columbia Pictures producers who were inspired to create a television show after the success of the Beatles’ “A Hard Days Night.” Open auditions were held and four strangers were cast: Dolenz, who performed Johnny B. Goode” on guitar for casting directors, as well as Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones. Dolenz was cast as a drummer without ever having hit the skins. At first, the band’s songs— 34

Monkee Shines like “I’m A Believer” and “Last Train To Clarksville” - were written by the likes of Neil Diamond and Carole King, while other musicians played the instruments. Americans loved watching the quartet’s zany antics each week, whether it was secretly baby -sitting for a horse in a house or unwittingly becoming foreign agents in order to recover microfilm hidden in maracas. But by 1967, the band had enough of the make-believe and began insisting on playing and singing their own songs. Dolenz had become proficient on the drums, and the four began a heated behind-the-scenes battle with producers and NBC. “It wasn’t that we didn’t want to play or couldn’t play. They wouold not allow us to play— literally,” Dolenz says. “our side was saying it was more important that it was legitimate, even if it’s not good. That ultimately is what happened.” The Monkees won, and what had been fake gave way to fact. The band went on tour—Jimi Hendrix was the opening act—and supplied the soundtrack to the 1968 psychedelic movie “Head,” co-written by Jack Nicholson. “The Monkees really becoming a band was like the equivalent of Leonard Nimoy really becoming a Vulcan,” Dolenz says. “It was that weird. Mike used to say it was like Pinocchio really becoming a little boy. We transcended the imaginary and became this supergroup.” Not everyone was happy, particularly those critics who felt

cheated when word was spread that the four young men had not initially been the musical talents behind the songs. “I was disturbed and hurt and bothered—and have been over the years at different times—because of the unjustified animosity directed at me personally. Like it was my fault or it was all part of this manipulation to deceive,” Dolenz says. He would like to point out that he was only in his early 20s at the time. Dolenz also thinks it’s high time the Monkees were given their due for what they did for popular culture besides goofing around, namely, sanitizing the counterculture for the mainstream. I equate it to Will Smith bringing rap into American living rooms with “The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.” That was very similar. Before that, the only time you’d see people with long hair on television they were getting arrested or at protests or smoking dope at love -ins. And then all of a sudden “The Monkees” come along with long hair representing, in a way, all those millions of kids out there who were good kids.”

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Canceled! Hazel sent us this flier for Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s English tour just before it was announced that the tour was canceled due to some promotional problems.

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Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News Although new episodes are no longer being shown on A&E, "Meet the Royals" hosted by Davy Jones will be repeating on the Biography Channel on weekends. This spring and summer will find David out on the road in full force with his solo show. Be sure to tune into the usual places on the internet for changes and additions to this ever growing schedule! Dates that have already been booked include: Fri 04/16/04 through Mon 04/19/04 Lake Buena Vista, FL Epcot Center Fri 04/23/04 Euless, TX City Of Euless Sat 05/01/04 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Casino Thu 05/13/04 El Cajon, CA Sycuan Casino Thu 06/10/04 Oshkosh, WI Waterfest / Riverside Park (visit www.waterfest.org for more information, and be sure to email Shane and let him know to look for you if you plan on coming at idolthreat@prodigy.net) Fri 06/11/04 Toledo, OH Westgate Shopping Mall Sat 06/12/04 Mableton, GA Mable House Amphitheatre Fri 06/18/04 Warsaw, IN Warsaw Parks Sat 06/19/04 Buffalo, NY Shea's Perf. Arts Ctr. Sun 09/05/04 Myrtle Beach, SC Palace Theater Sat 09/11/04 Westbury, NY Westbury Music Fair There have been some (unconfirmed) reports that fans can expect a series of new CD releases from David this summer, including a "Greatest Hits" CD which will contain some never before heard mixes and rare solo singles, a brand new live album, and a new "Justme" album which will feature the long-awaited recording of "If All Else Fails"!

Visit www.davyjones.net for the latest Davy news! 37

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Mickyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News Micky Dolenz's autobiography, I'm a Believer: My Life of Monkees, Music, and Madness, is being updated for a re-issue in July 2004! It will be printed by the Cooper Square Press as a 232-page paperback and will most likely include information on what Micky has been doing for the past decade (since the first edition of the book came out in 1993). Stay tuned for more info. Pre-order this book at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0815412843 Micky continues to play the role of Zoser in Broadway's production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's AIDA, with more performances being ticketed online at press time. However, come summer, Micky seems to be concentrating once again on his stage shows with sister Coco with the following venues booked: Fri 07/23/04 Aurora, IL Downtown Aurora Thu 08/19/04 Oshkosh, WI Waterfest / Riverside Park (visit www.waterfest.org for more information, and be sure to email Shane and let him know to look for you if you plan on coming at idolthreat@prodigy.net) Fri 10/08/04 Maryville, TN Green Belt Park Fri 10/29/04 Westbury, NY Westbury Music Fair

Visit www.mickydolenz.com for all the latest news on Micky!

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Mikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News Here are the latest updates from videoranch.com: Downloads: We've made each song from 'Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash' available as an MP3 download for 99 cents each. Click here to go here samples of some classic Nez tunes such as 'Some of Shelly's Blues' and 'The Back Porch and a Fruit Jar Full of Iced Tea.' Cassettes: We've decided it's time to get rid of the last of our cassettes. We know some of you still have tape players in your cars and maybe even at home, so we'd like to offer these to you for free. Of course, you still have to pay for shipping and handling, but the tapes themselves will be free. We can ship up to five cassettes for $6.75 (shipping and handling), and all eight for $7.50, within the US. If you live outside the US and would like some cassettes I'm sure we can work something out. Anyone interested in getting some tapes please email us! There has also been word from videoranch in recent weeks that Nez may start releasing tracks from his long awaited "Rays" project as MP3s on his site in the forseeable future. Stay tuned to "the ranch" for further developments!

Visit www.videoranch.com for the latest on Mike! 39

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Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s News Peter will have a full plate this spring and summer with performances with James Lee Stanley (as Two Man Band), as well as with Shoe Suede Blues. Here are the latest dates that we have: Peter and James May 14, 2004 Friday Sylvia Theater York, SC May 15, 2004 Saturday Festival in the Park Danville, VA May 16, 2004 Sunday gravity lounge Charlottesville, Virginia May 19, 2004 Wednesday Down Home - The Eclectic Music Room Johnson City, TN May 20, 2004 Thursday Rusty Nail Wilmington, NC May 21, 2004 Friday Jammin' Java Columbia, SC The May 20th perfromance is slated to be recorded for a possible live CD release in the very near future! Shoe Suede Blues Sunday, March 28, 2004 Stuart Arts Festival Stewart, FL Saturday, June 26, 2004 Main Street Blast New Port Richey, FL Thursday, July 29, 2004 Waterfest 2004 Oshkosh, WI (visit www.waterfest.org for more information, and be sure to email Shane and let him know to look for you if you plan on coming at idolthreat@prodigy.net)

Visit www.petertork.com for the latest news on Peter & Shoe Suede 40

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Shoe Suede Blues Live at the Jungle Owatonna, Minnesota November 14, 2003 By Julie Harris

November 7th at 11:30 pm Jenni called me to let me know she found out Peter Tork and Shoe Suede Blues were going to be at The Jungle in Owatonna, Minnesota on November 14th and tickets were only $10. She found this oout on the internet at the Shoe Suede Blues website. November 14th I got to Jenni’s in Hastings at 10:30 A.M. Caught up on what each other has been doing since we last saw each other. Dropped her daughter off with Jenni’s exhusband and got on our way to Owatonna by 2 P.M. We got to Owatonna by 3:30 P.M. and went to the Jungle to get our

tickets and check the place out. The Jungle is an old creamery remodeled into a sport’s bar. The place opened at 4 P.M. and we were the very first ones to buy tickets! Then we went to our motel room and got ready for the concert. We got back to the Jungle at 5:30, loaded down with our signs, roses, notebook, CDs, and Peter’s Xmas gift (a banjo and guitar ornaments I made from plastic canvas needlepoint). We watched the opening band,Rock Doctors, set up and watched other fans come in. Peter and Shoe Suede Blues came in at 6:30 P.M. Pe41

Monkee Shines ter talked to the opening band and said he didn’t like this set up. He also talked about his break up with the Monkees. Marilyn Bergmann introduced herself and told us it was her doing that got Peter here. Her father had died and left her some money and she decided to use it to get her favorite Monkee here for a concert. She arranged it through Peter’s agent, Belle who is in Florida and got Peter’s home phone number to confirm dates with him. It was all decided and confirmed in one week then put on the Shoe Suede Blues website. She told us that after the concert Peter had promised to sign autographs and he also promised to come to Minnesota once a year.

Julie Harris & Peter

We listened to Peter and Shoe Suede Blues warm up and met other fans who decided to sit with us at the front table. The Rock Doctors started at 9 P.M. They consisted of four guys and one girl who dressed up in doctors outfits (scrubs) and did dumb doctors jokes and sang Blues and To 40’s hits. The songs included: Favorite Mistake (Sheryl Crowe) Wild Nights (John Cougar Mellencamp) I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor) Sweet Home Alabama (lLeonard Skynard) Werewolves of London Soakin’ Up The Sun (Sheryl Crowe) Ain’t That America (John Cou-

Photo by Jenni Scott

Monkee Shines gar Mellencamp) Jenny (867-5309) Fire (Pointer Sisters) One Way Or Another (Blondie) Faith (George Michael) Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf) Gimme Some Lovin’ When The Lights Go Out In The City Cherry Bomb (John Cougar Mellencamp) Gonna Make You (Pretenders) Your Momma Don’t Dance You May Be Right SOS (Police) Some Kind Of Wonderful Doctor Doctor (Robert Palmer) They ended at a quarter to eleven. Peter and Shoe Suede Blues started at 11 P.M. Peter was breath-taking (no spiked hair anymore)! Shoe Suede Blues consisted of Michael Sunday, Richard Michaels and John Palmer. Everyone knows that Tadg Gallran was let go because of artistic differences between Peter and him. As I said, they started at 11 P.M. We gave them a standing ovation and screamed our heads off. Once again Jenni and I were the only fans with signs and flowers. Shows you how die hard fans we are. The songs they di were: Gonna Live It UP Hitchhike First Down The Road Big Boss Man Last Train To Clarksville (Peter changed the words to “when the morning brings my

plane and I must go”) Look What You Did Mailbox Blues (Peter says that he reads all his fan mail) Torn Up and Out San Fransisco Wine Wine Wine Cabdriver Boogaloo BBQ I’m A Believer Crosscut Saw Rockaway Blues Blue Suede Shoes/Shoe Suede Blues Dress Sexy For Me (Peter points to me and says “You did.” I wore an outfit perfectly described in the song and I danced just like the song says) Kiss And Tell Daydream Believer (Peter had the whole crowd sing along and we actually sounded great together. Slender, Tender, & Tall Poodle Dog It Ain’t Your Fault Baby Auntie Grizelda Mojo They quit at 1 A.M. and signed autographs. Peter was the first in line for autographs. When it was my turn, I handed Peter the orange roses I brought and he commented how they didn’t smell like roses should. He signed my CD cover “To Julie, Love, Peter Tork.” He asked if we had met before, that I looked familiar and I said we had met at the Fine Line Café in Minneapolis when he was ther with James Lee Stanley for their Two Man Band tour. He still couldn’t place me 43

Monkee Shines and asked my last name. When I told him he said, “Oh yes! I know you! Great to meet you after all these years and I read all your letters.” He hinted that he wanted me to write more often. I gave him his Xmas gift (a banjo and guitar ornaments I made of plastic canvas needlepoint). I told him it was great to give him his Xmas gift in person finally and he said, “Yes, thank you.” I asked if I could have a picture with him and he said, “Of course you can.” He put his arm around my waist and hugged me real tight and had a huge smile. I got Shoe Suede Blues autographs too. We waited around so I

could finish my film and say goodby to Peter when he left. The limo driver took our picture in front of the limo. Shoe Suede Blues and Peter came out and we thanked them for coming and to have a safe trip back home and to come back again. Peter surprised me by giving me a huge hug before he left and said it was really nice to see me again, I told him to come back to Minnesota again and he said, “Okey Dokey.” After they left, Marilyn said that Peter opened my Xmas gift and loved the picture of myself in the Xmas card and said he was going to hang the banjo and guitar on his Xmas tree. What a sweetheart.

Jan & Dean Singer Berry Dies at 62 By ROBERT JABLON, Associated Press Writer LOS ANGELES - Jan Berry, a member of the duo Jan & Dean that had the 1960s surf-music hits "Deadman's Curve" and "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena," has died. He was 62. Berry had a seizure and stopped breathing Friday at his home. He was pronounced dead that evening at a hospital, said his wife, Gertie Berry. He had been in poor health recently from the lingering effects of brain damage from a 1966 car crash. Jan & Dean had a string of hits and 10 gold records in the 1960s with their tales of Southern California. Among them were 1964's "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena," about a hotrod racing grandma, and "Surf City," with its lines about taking the station wagon to a place where there are "two girls for every boy." With Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, William Jan Berry co-wrote the lyrics for "Surf City" and "Deadman's Curve," which featured the driving guitar licks and falsetto crooning of the wildly popular surf music. Berry's hit-making career with high school friend Dean Torrence was cut short in 1966 when Berry's speeding Corvette hit a parked truck and he suffered severe brain damage that left him partially paralyzed and unable to talk. His recovery was slow, but eventually he was able to resume singing and writing songs. In addition to his wife, Berry is survived by his parents, William and Clara Berry of Camarillo; three brothers and three sisters.