Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork were The Monkees, a band formed in 1965 for an NBC TV show about a band aspiring to be The Beatles but failing miserably. At the peak of their career in 1967, The Monkees were outselling The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined. Irony? Not sure.
What we do know: The Monkees is one of our favorite bands of all-time. If you’ve never thought of them as one of the greatest, here are seven gems that will make a believer out of you. |
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SONG OF THE monDAY
Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone was first recorded by Paul Revere and The Raiders in 1966 for the album, Midnight Ride, but it became popular when The Monkees released it from the album More of the Monkees as a B-side to I'm a Believer. With Micky Dolenz singing lead vocals, Steppin' Stone landed at #20 on the US charts and became the band's first B-side hit.
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SONG OF THE tuesDAY
A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You was written by Neil Diamond and recorded by The Monkees as the follow-up song to the smash hit, I'm a Believer. Released in 1967, it was the first time Davy Jones sang lead vocals for a single. The song hit the top spot on several charts but narrowly missed on Billboard Hot 100, landing at No. 2. The B-side was Michael Nesmith's The Girl I Knew Somewhere, which landed at #39.
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SONG OF THE wednesDAY
The Monkees released Daydream Believer from the 1968 album, The Birds, The Bees, & The Monkees. All four Monkees appear on the track with Davy Jones on lead vocals, Peter Tork on piano, Michael Nesmith on lead guitar, and Micky Dolenz provided back-up vocals. The song landed at the top of Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for four weeks. It was the band's last number one hit in the U.S.
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SONG OF THE thursDAY
Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Pleasant Valley Sunday was recorded by the Monkees in 1967 and lwas included on Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones Ltd. Micky Dolenz sang lead vocals and was the only Monkee not playing an instrument on the track. In 1986, MTV aired episodes of The Monkees in a series called Pleasant Valley Sunday, sparking another wave of Monkeemania.
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SONG OF THE friDAY
With Micky Dolenz singing lead vocals, Last Train to Clarksville was The Monkees' debut single. Released in 1966, it hit the top of Billboard Hot 100 and was compared to The Beatles' Paperback Writer. It was featured in seven episodes of The Monkees, the most for any Monkees' song. The lyrics are about a soldier. Though the band wasn't political, it was a subtle statement about the Vietnam War.
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SONG OF THE saturDAY
Valleri was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart for the Monkees to record in 1966. The original recording was featured on The Monkees TV show in 1967, but after fighting for creative control and winning, the band re-recorded the song and included it on the 1968 album, The Birds, The Bees, and The Monkees. Their version landed at No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 in Canada.
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SONG OF THE sunDAY
I'm a Beliver was written by Neil Diamond and first recorded by the Monkees in 1966 for More of the Monkees. With lead vocals by Micky Dolenz, the song hit No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there seven weeks. The song went gold two days after its release and is one of fewer than forty singles to have sold over 10 million physical copies worldwide. It appeared on four consecutive episodes of The Monkees and many consider it one of the greatest songs of all-time.
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