This Monkees Gone To Heaven
February 29, 2012 11:52 AM   Subscribe

Monkees singer Davy Jones passes away.

Davy Jones was one of four young actors cast to play members of the fictional rock band, The Monkees. He was considered to be "The Dreamboat" of the group.

Some of the songs on which Jones sang lead:

Daydream Believer
I Wanna Be Free
Valeri
Daddy's Song (from Head)

On The Brady Bunch:

Girl
The scene in which he meets Marcia
Creep-tastic sequence from the Brady Bunch Movie

He's also one of the featured singers on the original cast album of the London production of The Point:

Me and My Arrow

Jones continued to tour, both on his own and with various incarnations of The Monkees, as recently as last month.
posted by Joey Michaels (193 comments total) 15 users marked this as a favorite
 
I saw that and my heart broke.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 11:54 AM on February 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


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posted by cjorgensen at 11:54 AM on February 29, 2012


This monkee's gone to heaven.
posted by punkfloyd at 11:56 AM on February 29, 2012 [27 favorites]


Or you know...what title said...if I bothered to read it.
posted by punkfloyd at 11:56 AM on February 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


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posted by Krazor at 11:56 AM on February 29, 2012


My childhood has now truly ended.
posted by matildaben at 11:56 AM on February 29, 2012 [5 favorites]




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RIP.
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:58 AM on February 29, 2012


A Corgi Monkees toy car was the carrot used by my folks to get me to learn how to tie my shoes when I was a kid. God, I loved that show. Between that and his appearnces on The Brady Bunch & Scooby Doo, Davy Jones occupied a huge chunk of TV real estate in my mind back then.

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posted by KingEdRa at 11:59 AM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


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posted by zzazazz at 11:59 AM on February 29, 2012


Oh, damn it. Damn, damn, damn. Tearing up now. I saw them on tour when I was maybe 16 or so. My mother and I were right down front, and there happpened to be a bunch of other teenage girls next to us... during Daydream Believer he held the mic down at the edge of the stage so all us teen girls could sing the chorus.

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posted by marginaliana at 12:00 PM on February 29, 2012


"I will miss him, but I won’t abandon him to mortality. I will think of him as existing within the animating life that insures existence. I will think of him and his family with that gentle regard in spite of all the contrary appearances on the mortal plane. David’s spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people, who remember with me the good times, and the healing times, that were created for so many, including us. I have fond memories. I wish him safe travels."

-Mike Nesmith
posted by cottoncandybeard at 12:00 PM on February 29, 2012 [76 favorites]


I was a huge Monkees an as a kid in the 70's (weren't we all?) when the reruns were being aired. I got to see Jones perform with Micky Dolenz (and with Boyce and Hart) at Six Flags Over Texas. We sort of accidentally stumbled onto them when I was a kid - we were there for the park and my mom kept saying "its not the band, Joey, its jut going to be some act with monkeys." When it was the actual band, she was arguably more excited than any of us. I always think of us stumbling upon them when I watch the amusement park scene in This Is Spinal Tap, which I think is appropriate.

What made me a permanent fan of the Monkees was later reading about their struggles to emancipate themselves from their handlers and write their own material, play their own instruments, etc. That they were daring enough to make something like Head when they could just as easily have kept doing light, frothy stuff has always struck me as being a certain kind of heroic.

Jones wasn't my absolute favorite Monkee (I'm a Dolenz fan) but he was charming, a great performer, and had a to-die-for voice. I was genuinely sorry to read about this today and have been slowly constructing this poor attempt at an obit thread in the hopes that a more qualified person than I might put it together. He's was a pretty major figure in my formative years and I feel grateful to him, Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith for making my childhood a little brighter - and for inspiring me to start my own fake comic rock act.

Thank you, Mr. Jones.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:01 PM on February 29, 2012 [13 favorites]


I remember seeing them during their 'reunited' tour when I was like in 8th grade or something. Sad. The music and show was good. I love Valeri. Although I will admit, Micky's songs were better.
posted by stormpooper at 12:02 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


Also, his blog, last updated in December.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:03 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by luckynerd at 12:03 PM on February 29, 2012


My very first concert was a Monkees show, when I was 8 or so. The first music I bought on my own was a Monkees tape, with a gigantic jar of pennies I had gotten somehow. I listened to it on my first Walkman with my first pair of headphones. That I didn't wear the tape out was a miracle.

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posted by secret about box at 12:04 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


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posted by Flood at 12:04 PM on February 29, 2012


He gave us some good stuff. Thank you, sir.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:04 PM on February 29, 2012


And I just saw Peter Tork is 70 (like McCartney). Just hate that people who have talent and made my life a little more fun are going to get old and die. Crap.
posted by stormpooper at 12:04 PM on February 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


Thoughts from Dolenz and Tork, not as eloquent as Nesmith but surely heartfelt.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:05 PM on February 29, 2012


Zappa & Jones in "Head"
posted by beukeboom at 12:05 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


That last tour they did was getting really good reviews, it's a shame they couldn't keep it from ending in acrimony.
posted by anazgnos at 12:05 PM on February 29, 2012


China Clipper calling Alameda
posted by hal9k at 12:06 PM on February 29, 2012 [7 favorites]


Not only did he give us some good music, but also David Bowie wouldn't be "Bowie" if it weren't for Davy Jones already being a successful musician.
posted by JauntyFedora at 12:07 PM on February 29, 2012 [9 favorites]


"Head" is a deeply weird trainwreck of a cult film. I've never been quite sure what to make of it.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 12:08 PM on February 29, 2012



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posted by blurker at 12:10 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by jabo at 12:10 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by Ink-stained wretch at 12:11 PM on February 29, 2012


Tonight we are all President of the Davy Jones Fan Club.

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posted by timshel at 12:11 PM on February 29, 2012 [10 favorites]


I mean that in a good way BTW.
posted by CBrachyrhynchos at 12:12 PM on February 29, 2012


The Monkees were before my time, but the re-runs were definitely part of our favorite TV show lineup during those long, idyllic summers staying with family in Tampa during the 70s and early 80s. My cousin and would re-enact that bit from the intro where they ran out to the edge of the surf and then ran back, chased by the water.

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posted by jquinby at 12:13 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by doctor_negative at 12:13 PM on February 29, 2012


Oh I could hide 'neath the wings, of the blue bird as she sings ...

Head is one of my top 10 movies of all time, and no, Davy wasn't my favorite either (I was a Peter man, then Mickey), but he will be very missed.

Daddy's Song
posted by mrgrimm at 12:14 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


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posted by no relation at 12:14 PM on February 29, 2012


My green Monkees shirt was one of my most prized possessions.

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posted by tommasz at 12:15 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by cazoo at 12:15 PM on February 29, 2012


I hope this tear running down my cheek doesn't count as "washing" it. :'<
posted by PapaLobo at 12:15 PM on February 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


I'm so sad. My friends and I were huge into the Monkees when they started airing their reruns on MTV in the mid-80's, when I was around 13-ish. All we would talk about was the Monkees. We'd sing and dance to their songs...so much fun and great memories. At sleepovers we'd fall asleep listening to their music.
posted by daydreamer at 12:16 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


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posted by Iridic at 12:16 PM on February 29, 2012


This is so very sad. Count me as another one of the tween fans they gained from their 80s comeback.


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posted by triggerfinger at 12:18 PM on February 29, 2012


She Hangs Out

My first favourite Monkee was Peter, but I soon switched to Davy because my choice of favourite Beatle led to too many Peter, Paul and Mary jokes to tolerate. Added bonus: he was only a little taller than me.

Cuddly Toy (which I had completely forgotten up until the lyrics started. See also: Nilsson's original version)

Rest in peace, Davy.
posted by maudlin at 12:19 PM on February 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


Head is one of my top 10 movies of all time, and no, Davy wasn't my favorite either (I was a Peter man, then Mickey), but he will be very missed.

I agree, Head is fantastic. The Monkees were played in rerun on Nickelodeon during the mid-80's and the show became of my favourite things as a toddler, maybe even my first ever favourite thing. I saw Head when I was five or six and it frightened me to the bone. I've watched it a dozen times since and I've had so many different responses and reactions to it depending on the age I've seen it. I love it.
posted by timshel at 12:20 PM on February 29, 2012


Big stuff for girls born during the late baby boomer/early Gen X years. Davy was my favorite.

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posted by Currer Belfry at 12:20 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by incandissonance at 12:21 PM on February 29, 2012


Fictional rock band?

SHOW SOME RESPECT, MAN.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:21 PM on February 29, 2012 [14 favorites]


The Moknees were my mom's first concert. I watched the show obsessively when they were on Nick at Nite.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 12:21 PM on February 29, 2012


When I heard the news an hour or so ago, I literally felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I don't remember taking a celebrity death this hard since Gilda Radner's passing.

I was 14 in 1986, when the Monkees show was airing in syndication again and I foolishly thought the show was brand new. When my mother told me that the show had aired when she was a kid, I'd just dismissed her, thinkingt she had no idea what she was talking about. (The pre-internet me was very naive...and didn't we all think we knew everything when we were 14?) I was a horribly, painfully awkward and shy young man, just beginning to realize that I was gay and seeing these four funny, goofy, talented young guys having fun and singing great pop songs really helped me through a very painful time. I was a *big* fan, getting all of their albums, reading every book I could get my hands on about them and recording all the episodes from the local broadcasts.

They came to my hometown in September of 1986 and I was right there, singing along, watching them put on a great show and realizing that I wasn't the only person who enjoyed what they were doing. It was my very first concert and it made a lasting impression on me. I still have the ticket stub, stashed away with all of the other mementos from my childhood.

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posted by BrianJ at 12:22 PM on February 29, 2012 [9 favorites]


The Moknees are the tribute band.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:23 PM on February 29, 2012


Also, Mike's eulogy was wonderful. Just another example of the reason he's my preferred Monkee.
posted by timshel at 12:23 PM on February 29, 2012 [4 favorites]


I had the biggest freaking crush on Davy Jones when I was about 12. Nickelodeon used to show reruns about 3:30 or so. I would rush home to watch the show. My friends and I would call each other afterwards to gush over our favorite moments. I think part of the reason I so crushed on him is he had a sense of humor about his height. I do love a man who can laugh at himself.

"Will the real Davy Jones please stand up?"
"I am standing."
posted by miss-lapin at 12:25 PM on February 29, 2012 [6 favorites]


Fictional rock band?

SHOW SOME RESPECT, MAN.


Indeed. Try a little Randy Scouse Git.

Hey hey, we are the Monkees
You know we love to please
A manufactured image
With no philosophies


To be honest, I'm a little surprised at all the Monkees love. When I was growing up (late '70s and '80s), it was very UNCOOL to like the Monkees. The Beatles were supposed to be great; and the Monkees were supposed to be teh lame.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:27 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


So, so sad. I'm a Mike gal myself, but this is still punch-to-the-gut level sad.

gonna go watch a few episodes now.
posted by Lucinda at 12:27 PM on February 29, 2012


Oh, so sad. When I was 6, in 1967, I was pretty certain I was going to marry Davy Jones. By the next year, I had moved on to the taller, darker, more sophisticated Elvis and Sidney Poitier, so Davy and I had to call it quits, but I still retained a soft spot for him in the ensuing years.

Time to fire up the turntable and the minty mono Monkees vinyl for a nice tribute, featuring this big fave: "Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow". Replete with Rose Marie, even.
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:28 PM on February 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


the monkees' first album was my first record purchase - i'm a little spooked that i just covered one of their songs for the mefimusic challenge this month ...
posted by pyramid termite at 12:28 PM on February 29, 2012


Oh I'm so sad. I remember sitting there with my best friends and arguing over who would get to marry Davy - we must have been 8 or 9, we would all rush home from school to watch the Monkees on afternoon TV (it went from the Monkees to the Brady Bunch to Star Trek, ah halcyon 70s of yore.) He was already too short for me so my friends said I had to switch. In my teens I had a whole theory worked out that changing your favorite Monkee was sort of a weird rite of passage marking each phase of adulthood - you start with Davy and then go either to Peter for the quiet daydreamy people, the Beatles fans or to Mickey for the rebellious ones, the Stones fans. Finally you become a grownup and make it to Mike and that's it, you're an adult now.

I went to see Head at the outdoor movies a couple years ago with some of my girlfriends and really, we had no idea what to expect. We thought it would be just like the Monkees only longer and we were all excited, talking about the Monkees and our first crushes and then, WHOA, instead there was Head, which is really one of the weirdest movies ever made. Totally recommend it.
posted by mygothlaundry at 12:28 PM on February 29, 2012 [8 favorites]


Davy Jones was my first crush. I remember being mesmerized by reruns of The Monkees in the 1970s, when I was about 3 or 4 years old, and he was by far my favourite of the group. I'm pretty shocked that he has passed away...I still think of him as so young.

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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:29 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


Oy, my broken heart! As a kid, I was fanatical for The Monkees when their show was on Nick at Nite. Now anytime I'm forced to karaoke, "Daydream Believer" is always my first pick. Goodbye, Davy.
posted by Lighthammer at 12:30 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


When I heard the news this morning, I immediately looked for that "Daddy's Song" clip on Youtube. Such a great sense of fun and showmanship.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:33 PM on February 29, 2012


He took the last train to Clarksville.

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posted by Melismata at 12:34 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


My green Monkees shirt was one of my most prized possessions.

Holy shit - was it a real dark green with the logo and all their faces in yellow? My god, I wore mine till it shredded.
posted by davebush at 12:35 PM on February 29, 2012


The Monkees were always so interesting to me, the pre-fab four that was just a little too talented, a little too ambitious, to allow themselves to be "handled" like so many of their peers. They were a bad fit for the starmaking machinery. Every impresario thereafter with the notion to manufacture his own group took a lesson: Settle for less talent and more compliance, and just spend promo money to counter the mediocrity. Great comic actors; very serviceable songwriters/musicians, particularly Nesmith; and a reach that ultimately exceeded their grasp. I was a Mickey kid, the borscht belt sensibility tickled my funny bone, but I could see the appeal of all of them, especially Michael as I got older and cared more about music. RIP Davy.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:36 PM on February 29, 2012 [6 favorites]


Fictional rock band?

I will defend the fictional label to the death. The Monkees, like Spinal Tap, were a fictional rock band that just happened to cross over into reality. I think that in and of itself is a pretty amazing thing. They were never meant to be a real band and they pulled a Pinocchio and became real because, as it turns out, they were all genuinely talented.

A manufactured image

I'm a huge fan of The Clash. When I read Passion is a Dashion, one of the things that was really hard for me to swallow is that they, too, were a manufactured band - at first. While I'm not putting The Clash and The Monkees on the same level, I can't simply write off The Monkees for being assembled by producers when my favorite band was assembled by a manager.

Some bands transcend their origins. The Monkees are certainly a band that did.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:37 PM on February 29, 2012 [7 favorites]


Passion is A Fashion, to be precise.
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:38 PM on February 29, 2012


Oh wow, get out the hankies, kids. I didn't think there was any video of Davy as the original Artful Dodger in Oliver!, but indeed there is.
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:40 PM on February 29, 2012 [6 favorites]


To be honest, I'm a little surprised at all the Monkees love. When I was growing up (late '70s and '80s), it was very UNCOOL to like the Monkees. The Beatles were supposed to be great; and the Monkees were supposed to be teh lame.

Speaking purely for myself, I would explain it like this: The Beatles were, of course, more musically important. But despite the circumstances of their creation, The Monkees somehow always seemed more genuine to me. So this makes me sad. Another shovelful of dirt on my childhood.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:40 PM on February 29, 2012 [6 favorites]


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posted by sexyrobot at 12:41 PM on February 29, 2012


Farewell, Davy. You brought a lot of fun and happiness and a delightful infatuation with you to my earlier years. And I'm so sorry you had to go so soon -- 66 is not old.

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posted by bearwife at 12:42 PM on February 29, 2012


He was my first crush.

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posted by Gordafarin at 12:42 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by Webbster at 12:43 PM on February 29, 2012


I got to speak with Davy many years ago, when I contributed to an obscure Monkees book project dealing with mutant media madness and multimedia mayhem. He was an absolute delight of a man, an opinion shared by everyone who interacted with him.

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posted by dbiedny at 12:45 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


About 5 years ago, on the day after xmas, I flew down to West Palm Beach, Florida to visit my sister. I got off the plane and washed my face. As I came out of the men's room, I heard a familiar voice. Couldn't be - I thought. But I turned around, and there he was: Davy Jones.
posted by R. Mutt at 12:45 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


Memories:

Their debut LP was my first ever record. The model car Monkee Mobile my dad bought and assembled for me. The Monkees bubblegum cards (the included gum was banana flavored). I can still picture the "Headquarters" album laying on the floor in my sister's bedroom.

This was the band that started my still strong love affair with music. RIP Davy.
posted by davebush at 12:45 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


Like lots of people, I knew the Monkees first from reruns on Nickelodeon in the '80s. Davy, the token Brit, always seemed like such a class act. I'm sad I never got to see them perform. I think I'll pull out Justus, their quite weird 1996 reunion album, for a tribute listen.

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posted by Faint of Butt at 12:46 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


I think I'll pull out Justus, their quite weird 1996 reunion album, for a tribute listen.

This is a rough moment for all of us but let's not go crazy, here.
posted by timshel at 12:47 PM on February 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


My favourite of his current pieces: My Personal Penguin -- for Sandra Boynton's books for kids.

DH and I used to sing this to our kids when they were younger. Fed my 30-year-old Davy Jones crush, too.
posted by wenat at 12:48 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


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posted by HandfulOfDust at 12:51 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by lapolla at 12:52 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by ahimsakid at 12:52 PM on February 29, 2012


More of the Monkeys was the first album I ever purchased with my own hard-earned cash. Led Zeppelin II was the second. I'm not sure which i would put on my desert island list if I had to pick only one.
posted by rtimmel at 12:52 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


you start with Davy and then go either to Peter for the quiet daydreamy people, the Beatles fans or to Mickey for the rebellious ones, the Stones fans. Finally you become a grownup and make it to Mike and that's it, you're an adult now.

This is so true, I love it. My two sisters and I all had crushes on different Monkees - Micky was always my guy and the other two had Davy and Peter. We would always take a moment to reflect on poor Mike, who had no one to like him.

And now after reading that very touching tribute from him, I think Mike is my favorite now.
posted by triggerfinger at 12:52 PM on February 29, 2012 [4 favorites]


One day over lunch with a political science professor the Monkees came up in conversation and I said something glib about how contrived and dainty the Monkees were, just another capitalist appropriation of authentic expressions of revolutionary discontent (youth, rocknroll, drug culture) repackaged as commodities, and my professor said:

"Well you absolutely need to see Head."

"Pardon me?"

"They made a movie called Head. I'll lend you my copy. Then you tell me what you think of the Monkees."

The following week over lunch I said, "Well I don't know what I think after that. Were they in on it or not? "

"I don't know," he said. "But it sure seems like an awful lot of discontent to appropriate and repackage."

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And one for Dr Roberts, too: .
posted by notyou at 12:55 PM on February 29, 2012 [9 favorites]


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posted by Thorzdad at 12:55 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 12:56 PM on February 29, 2012


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Also, without Davy there would be no freaky snake sway dance in Sweet Child of Mine.

He will be missed.
posted by teleri025 at 12:57 PM on February 29, 2012 [6 favorites]


I had the most gigantic crush on Davy Jones when I was 6. Thinking on it, I suppose I still do, given how much this news hurt.

Sleep sweet, Davy.

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posted by MissySedai at 12:58 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


More of the Monkeys was the first album I ever purchased with my own hard-earned cash

Mono or Stereo (for a buck more)?
posted by hal9k at 1:01 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


I thought Davy was the coolest of the group because he was supposed to have been a jockey.

I thought jockey's were uber cool when I was a kid. Tiny little guy steering a 2,000 pound animal at 45 miles an hour in amongst a crowd of 10 or 20 other 2,000 pound animals being steered by tiny little guys? Far out. as an adult of course I realize that Jones was way, WAY too big -- as small as he was -- to be a successful jockey. But it was still cool.
posted by lodurr at 1:02 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


Oh, I'm so sad. I adored the Monkees--spent my hard-earned babysitting money on their first album and then wore it out playing it. Peter Tork was my main crush, but Davy was a favorite, too. My girlfriends and I schemed and plotted ways to meet them.
posted by agatha_magatha at 1:02 PM on February 29, 2012


I was a Peter Tork fan, my best friend Mary loved Micky Dolenz. We were in junior high school when The Monkees was re-run on our local UHF station in 1975/76, and she delighted in taunting me that her name was mentioned not only in "Mary, Mary" but also "(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow." (Thanks Mom, how many songs get written about a girl named Oriole?) My Mom loved "Daydream Believer" and had bought the 45 when it first came on in 1960-whatever; I found it amusing to discover that Davy Jones initially disliked the song because it made no sense to him - being British he didn't know what a "homecoming queen" was.
posted by Oriole Adams at 1:03 PM on February 29, 2012


Plus, "Daddy's Song" was my favorite part of Head, just for the sheer showmanship of his performance.
posted by lodurr at 1:05 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


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They were amazing with all that vibrant colour and music for a British kid growing up in the 70s. RIP.
posted by marienbad at 1:11 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by Halloween Jack at 1:11 PM on February 29, 2012


bukeboom posted the exact moment in Head that came into my mind when I heard the news.

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posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 1:11 PM on February 29, 2012


One of the sources of pride I have as a parent was in giving my sons an appreciation of the Monkees. One of my sons said the "Live 1966" album was his favorite.

Some years ago there was a concert following the local AAA baseball team's game - Bobby Sherman, Davy Jones, and Peter Noone. When Noone came out, he said "I saw Bobby and Davy out there on the grass...how did they get down there....they JUMPED???"

Then he sat on the edge of the stage, took off his shoes and socks, and carefully eased his way down to the astroturf. What a wimp, compared to our boy Davy.
posted by Billiken at 1:12 PM on February 29, 2012


Jones was way, WAY too big -- as small as he was -- to be a successful jockey.

lodurr, Davy was never a professional jockey, and probably never would have been a working jockey, but he did get his license as an amateur in Britain and rode one of his horses to a six length victory on the flat in 1996, when he was 51. He also worked as an exercise rider whenever he could, and owned several race horses.

I'm glad he got to be an entertainer and a horseman. Win-win for all of us.
posted by maudlin at 1:16 PM on February 29, 2012


I'm a Monkees fan, a Mike Nesmith man, but Davy was cool too, especially for "Vallerie," a fucking terrific piece of 60's pop-rock.

RIP, Davy
posted by jonmc at 1:17 PM on February 29, 2012


When I was a kid I thought Davy Jones was already dead. I thought that he was the Davy Jones in Davy Jones' Locker and whenever I saw the Brady Bunch episode with him it made me sad. No one ever thought to dissuade me of this until my high school friends with cable got into the Monkees via Nickelodeon and actually saw them in concert including Mr. Jones. I am still sad to learn of his passing.
posted by Biblio at 1:19 PM on February 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


Another 80s kid here who knew of them thanks to reruns on Nickelodeon. I didn't LOVE them like many in this thread, but I liked them, and I remember desperately wanting to do the things they did in the opening credits, particularly the ones that involved doing something bizarre in the middle of the street while being pushed (in a bed, washing in a bathtub, etc...naturally I would be the pushee, not one of the pushers).

I also remember one of their reunion things, with a video that showed them being taken out of deep-freeze and blow-dried back to life. They were also doing the talk-show circuit at the time promoting their reunion, sans Mike. They explained his absence by saying that his hat shrunk in the wash, and they tried to get him another hat, but it just wasn't the same.

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posted by mreleganza at 1:20 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


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posted by Gelatin at 1:21 PM on February 29, 2012


Watching reruns of the Monkees as a small child in the early 1990s gave me the impression that an essential part of being in a band was to have a television show with all sorts of wacky hijinks and zany, musical adventures.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 1:24 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


... isn't it?
posted by MrVisible at 1:26 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


When I was growing up (late '70s and '80s), it was very UNCOOL to like the Monkees. The Beatles were supposed to be great; and the Monkees were supposed to be teh lame.

I experienced The Monkees on TV in the early 80s as a little boy and Beatles obsessive, and I felt that they were actually a bit of a relief after the sheer weight of The Beatles' overwhelming, world-flattening genius. I loved them and felt that if I was just having fun, then they loved me back. Their whole show was based on the Beatles smoking pot in between takes during 'Help!', but they didn't have the pressure on them.

The Beatles of course were so much more rich, musically and in every other way, but it was an actual responsibility loving them, with John looking down his glasses at you and all that hard work etc. The Monkees was 20 minutes off duty.
posted by colie at 1:29 PM on February 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


For all the Beatles vs Monkees comparisons, John and Paul were actually fans of the Monkees, and they all ran together in the same circles -- the Harry Nilsson documentary "Who Is Harry Nilsson and Why Is Everybody Talkin' Bout Him" features Mickey Dolenz extensively.

This Spinner interview with Davy from July 2011 is definitely worth a read, too.
posted by briank at 1:35 PM on February 29, 2012


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Loves me some Monkees and Davey is no small reason why. pun intended
posted by Fezboy! at 1:39 PM on February 29, 2012


I remember The Monkees TV shows seemed to be descended from the Marx Brothers' movies as much as 'Help!' ...? Often a verbal misunderstandings involving pompous wealthy people or something?

RIP Davy.

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posted by colie at 1:39 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


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posted by Sphinx at 1:46 PM on February 29, 2012



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posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:48 PM on February 29, 2012


colie, yeh, i never saw Marx brothers until I was almost out of high school, but when I did I felt right at home with it. Why? because I'd been primed for it by the Monkees.
posted by lodurr at 1:49 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:54 PM on February 29, 2012


"We get the funniest looks from
Everyone we meet.

Hey, hey, we're the Junkies!"
posted by Mental Wimp at 1:57 PM on February 29, 2012


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RIP Davy. You're the reason I've always had a thing for short guys with dark hair.
posted by xena at 1:57 PM on February 29, 2012


I remember the exchange between my sister and I when I got all comfy to watch the Monkees and she had to leave for Brownies. She had begged to join Girl Scouts and my mom didn't want to do it because there was a new baby and a toddler with constant ear infections and the Brownie meeting were just far enough away to make them a bit leary of her going on her own so she would have to be driven, a major hardship. But she begged and begged and was allowed and then found out the meeting was the same night as the Monkees.

And me the smug little sister getting to watch The Monkees, revelling in my power. The look between us was the first time I experienced a power shift of that magnitude. It was awesome.

RIP Davy (the cute one).

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posted by readery at 1:59 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


I watched many hours of The Monkees on WLVI in the late 70's / early 80's. I had no sense that the show was over a decade old nor that they were a so-called "fake band," so as far as I was concerned they were a funny bunch of guys who played good music and had a TV show. One of the first cassettes I ever owned was The Monkees' Greatest Hits, and I played that thing into the ground. I haven't listened to them nearly as much in my adult years, but now I'm realizing how much of a childhood touchstone they were for me on a number of levels.

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posted by usonian at 2:07 PM on February 29, 2012


My mom was a Monkees fan, and we went to the reunion concert in the mid eighties when I was in elementary school. It was the one where Weird Al opened. I saw them every time I could after that. This past summer, I bought three tickets for their show in Cape Cod - one for me, one for my mom, and one for my ten year old daughter. My daughter was so excited. And then they canceled the show. The Monkees made my daughter cry. And now I have to tell her that her favorite Monkee died, and she's going to cry again. I just hope she doesn't start thinking of them as the band that makes her cry.
posted by Ruki at 2:11 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


When I was five, I was obsessed with the Monkees. OB. SESSED. They re-ran the TV show on Nickelodeon at four o'clock every afternoon. Two episodes. It was the only time of day I could be counted on to be indoors because I HAD to see it.

I had such a huge crush on Davy Jones. Except it wasn't so much a crush as I wanted to be Davy Jones. Not that I wanted to be a boy, per se, just Davy Jones. So. At the tender age of five, I changed my name to Davy Jones.

By six, I'd changed it back, and had moved on to watching Punky Brewster, but today Davy Jones' passing is also the passing of one of my very real childhood touchstones. RIP, Davy. Thank you for the good times and for helping me baffle the hell out of my kindergarten teacher.
posted by sonika at 2:16 PM on February 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


Aw. He made little me smile a lot and sing. Thanks, Davy.


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posted by oneironaut at 2:19 PM on February 29, 2012


This probably seems trite in comparison, and maybe naive, but this made me realize that someday the boy-band heroes of my generation (the members of Hanson, specifically) are going to die. And I'm going to feel actual grief over it.

I don't look forward to it.
posted by rachaelfaith at 2:23 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


*
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 2:24 PM on February 29, 2012


> The Beatles were supposed to be great; and the Monkees were supposed to be teh lame.

The Monkees were totally the gateway to the Beatles for me. I can still remember my father's horror when, at age 7 or 8, I very excitedly mistook The Beatles Yesterday and Today album (the cover with Paul in the footlocker, not the butchered babies one) for a Monkees album. Man, I was so disappointed.
posted by looli at 2:25 PM on February 29, 2012


Also, for years I've always been crazy about that drum lick just before the chorus in the Monkees theme. I later learned it was played by Hal Blaine, the same cat who played on the Ronettes "Be My Baby." He deserves a Nobel Prize in percussion.
posted by jonmc at 2:26 PM on February 29, 2012 [5 favorites]


So, so sad. This 70s girl was so in love with the Monkees.....~sigh~

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posted by tristeza at 2:29 PM on February 29, 2012


The one thing that would get me to come inside in summer was the Monkees, which was on at noon every day. I watched the Monkees because I was a huge Beatles fan, and I could sort of pretend I was watching Help! every afternoon. Once I got older I learned to appreciate them for themselves- they had great songwriters writing for them even before they began writing their own songs, like Carole King, Neil Diamond, and Weil and Mann.

I guess it really was a long time ago that I watched them every day, all summer, almost 35 years in fact. I'm not ready for that much time to have gone by. It's good to hear that Davy was performing so recently and still enjoying it.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:35 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by MelanieL at 2:36 PM on February 29, 2012


I didn't think there was any video of Davy as the original Artful Dodger in Oliver!, but indeed there is.

In fact, Davy appeared as the Artful Dodger on the same Ed Sullivan Show that featured the US debut of the Beatles. His desire to join the Monkees was inspired by his front-row seat at the birth of Beatlemania in the US.

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posted by jonp72 at 2:41 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by magstheaxe at 2:48 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by zaelic at 2:52 PM on February 29, 2012


More of the Monkees was the first album I ever purchased with my own hard-earned cash

Mono or Stereo (for a buck more)?


Always the audiophile and the spendthrift, I went for the stereo. i still might have it -- several boxes of records being one of the few things that have survived multiple moves.
posted by rtimmel at 3:00 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by mrgroweler at 3:11 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:16 PM on February 29, 2012


just another capitalist appropriation of authentic expressions of revolutionary discontent

Even as a kid, this was my reaction to the part of the title sequence where it goes into groovy sub-psychedelic camerawork and the line is "we're the young generation and we've got something to say." It really is a "who do you think you're kidding?" moment.

But the fact is the Monkees managed to be both things: a pretty cynical product of the commercial Conquest of Cool, as well as a frequently pretty genuine group of artists. There's no law of nature that says this can't happen: it's just pretty improbable, not least because the commercial interests would have changed their approach to casting if they'd anticipated even the remotest possibility of the latter.
posted by George_Spiggott at 3:51 PM on February 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


I still have my vinyl Monkees albums. And I'm sad I have no working turntable.
posted by dejah420 at 4:14 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


I was a Monkees fan in 1968 when I was six. Maybe they were cool, maybe they weren't. I didn't care. I liked them. My friends and I would discuss who was the better band; The Monkees or the Banana Splits.

For me, the most depressing thing about having one more person from my childhood gone, is that it's just another signpost up ahead that says "You too will be dead soon".
posted by freakazoid at 4:18 PM on February 29, 2012


Stick your head up next to your screen, dejah420, and I'll crank my Headquarters LP up a little so you can hear it. Now playing: "Shades of Gray" . . . [sniffle].
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:19 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


I haven't read any news in a long time that made me gasp audibly. Very sad indeed. I was more of a Mickey fan (thanks to watching Circus Boy on TV in the 50s), but they wouldn't have been the same without Davy. RIP.

p.s. Head is, to say the least, wildly uneven, but that scene with Zappa and the steer is priceless.
posted by LeLiLo at 4:19 PM on February 29, 2012


Anyone who has ever loved Davy Jones should try to watch that movie 'Head'. It's kinda weird, but Davy is, as always, rather charming in it.
posted by ovvl at 4:27 PM on February 29, 2012


So, first... I have to admit this news hit me harder than I thought it would have.

I make jokes to deal with tragedy. So tonight, when I came home and fired up the discography I (100% totally legally ;)) downloaded sometime the past few months (seriously, did I jinx Davy?) in order to find a track to post along w/a note on Facebook... What song hit me, the absurdity of it?

This Just Doesn't Seem to be My Day

It wasn't his day. Then the lyrics "She went away!" Which then made me think - here I am, listening to Davy sing about MY sad day when HE went away!
-----------
Anyways.

1986/1987 or thereabouts. WXGZ, channel 32 over the air from the Fox Valley, Wisconsin. Here I turn on the TV and see this guys acting silly, and I am thinking "What is this?" My 10 year old self thinks this is just fucking AWESOME! I watched every episode they aired. My friend Nick let me borrow his copy of the second album. I got a tape of the first album from my friend Brent.

And I had a crush on this girl, and I would call her up and we'd talk for 3 hours every night and we'd talk about the Monkees quite frequently (amongst other topics). This boy right here was gay for the Monkees, that's for sure.

Then one day I went to watch it and IT WAS NOT ON! Nor was it the next day. After a week of this, and looking to see if maybe it changed a timeslot or schedule I realized it was gone!

So I called 411 and asked for the phone number for WXGZ. And the guy replied "WX G as in 'George' C as in Can't" And I hung up and said fine.

Years later, I realized the man was not trying to snark at me, but rather was merely trying to confirm the letter C. DEAR DUDE ON THE PHONE: Do NOT use "Can't" for C... it makes little 11 year old me hang his head in defeat!

I never ended up able to contact the station to petition for its return. (Thankfully I found out that channel 24 or 18 from Milwaukee also seemed to carry it still, so I got to watch a very fuzzy and distorted and only coming in sometimes, version... but damnit if I wouldn't let that prevent me from my fix).
-------------
I'm more of a Micky/Peter guy (Actually Davy was my least favorite).
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Finally - I also "Completely 100% Legally" downloaded all the episodes, and there was this scene where Mike is all depressed and they're trying to cheer him up, and he's in his room, and Peter asks if he wants to come out and do all these different activities, and to each one, Mikes like "No." And Pete goes "Well, what DO you want to do?" And Mike uses a phrase a good 40+ years ahead of its time:

"Well... I thought I'd just sit in my room and FAIL"

------------
RIP Davy. You may not have been my favorite, but you were still a key part of the team, and will be missed!
posted by symbioid at 4:40 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. sure kick my ass pretty hard for a 'fictional rock band.'

We'll miss you, Davy.
posted by mintcake! at 4:50 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


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posted by annsunny at 4:53 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 5:04 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by ladygypsy at 5:06 PM on February 29, 2012



"Well... I thought I'd just sit in my room and FAIL"


Aaaaw, symbioid, do you have this clip to post? I'd love to see it.

Also, we discussed Head not long ago on Mefi, for those who are interested.
posted by triggerfinger at 5:09 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by wallabear at 5:12 PM on February 29, 2012


A lovely tribute from Richard Marx

Never expected to see myself type those words but go figure.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:17 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


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posted by trinigirl at 5:22 PM on February 29, 2012


Oh, I love you guys! Back when the Monkees were the Best. Band. Evar. I caught such crap from people who were into the Beatles, and then a bit later the 'serious' groups. I was dreading the snark that would be going on here, given the amount of scorn piled on in Junior High.

When I was 6, in 1967, I was pretty certain I was going to marry Davy Jones.

Well, you knew then it was just a day dream, because I was 14 in '67, and Davy was going to marry me! Davy was my first, and practically only, star crush. I probably liked him more for the fact that the media played him up as a jockey. OMG, we both like horses! We were meant to be together forever!!!

There were many a long evening spent with a friend who sighed and wept over Peter, and each of us knew in our hearts that the others chosen sweetheart wasn't near as wonderful.

Jones was way, WAY too big -- as small as he was -- to be a successful jockey.>/i>
Actually, that's not true. English jockeys of the time had a more variable height and weight compared to the "standardized" versions of today. More emphasis was on how you could "go" with the horse. Additionally, steeplechase jockeys--point to point or jump jockeys--can be bigger and heavier than the flat race jockeys. Not to mention good exercise boys are worth their weight in gold--although that's not as glamorous as an actual jockey.

posted by BlueHorse at 5:29 PM on February 29, 2012


I was very into the Monkees, back in the day; one of my cherished Teen Adventures was piling into a car with a bunch of people I barely knew, to drive to Texas and attend a Monkees reunion show.

Hearing this news and reading this thread, suddenly the Head soundtrack is going through my head note-for-note, dialogue clips included, reminding me of just how often I used to listen to it.

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posted by theatro at 5:31 PM on February 29, 2012


There were many a long evening spent with a friend who sighed and wept over Peter, and each of us knew in our hearts that the others chosen sweetheart wasn't near as wonderful.

I love it. :) All you girls missed out on the magic that was Micky!

FelliniBlank, thank you so much for posting that. What a lovely tribute.
posted by triggerfinger at 5:38 PM on February 29, 2012


To be honest, I'm a little surprised at all the Monkees love. When I was growing up (late '70s and '80s), it was very UNCOOL to like the Monkees.

The older you get, the less important it become to be cool. Which means you can just kick back and enjoy.


And never forget, in 1967 when The Monkees toured the US, the opening band was The Jimi Hendrix Experience.


Indeed, yes! There was said to have been a sort of call and response thing going on between audience and stage as Jimi kicked into Foxy Lady

"Foxy-"

"Davy!"

"Foxy-"

"Davy!"

I gather Jimi left the tour early.
posted by IndigoJones at 5:44 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


Oh, and

*
posted by IndigoJones at 5:44 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by twidget at 5:47 PM on February 29, 2012


That Richard Marx thing is really, really sweet. Thanks for sharing that. And I'm simply nthing it at this point, I know, but Mike's eulogy is just amazing.
posted by mintcake! at 5:48 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


FelliniBlank, thank you so much for posting that. What a lovely tribute.

You're welcome. Marx also blogged a marvelous story about his love of Davy.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:55 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


You're welcome. Marx also blogged a marvelous story about his love of Davy.

Aaaaw, I love that! Really shows how Davy was just a kind and gentle soul.
posted by triggerfinger at 6:05 PM on February 29, 2012


Stupid Metafilter thread making me cry. One of Davy's best performances was Someday Man.
posted by Karmadillo at 6:12 PM on February 29, 2012


Aaaaw, symbioid, do you have this clip to post? I'd love to see it.

here y'go!
posted by Lucinda at 6:14 PM on February 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


Original-era fan here.

A Mickey girl. But the entire Monkees phenomenon was big for me. I was just at the right tween age to catch their wave.

And in retrospect, considering the varied show biz interests I would develop, my luv for that combination of catchy pop music and goofy teevee sitcom was telling.

My father's gone three years now, my mom in a nursing facility. And in that often-empty childhood house 100 miles and three dozen years away from me, my Monkees records are still boxed away.

Another wonderful little bit of my childhood disappears in that rearview mirror.
posted by NorthernLite at 6:57 PM on February 29, 2012 [3 favorites]


The Monkees, not cool? Impossible. Every punk/alternative kid I knew in high school (during their '80s heyday on MTV) unabashedly, unironically loved them. They were a little subversive and totally delightful -- practically the epitome of cool, in my book. I mean, come on: Axl Rose tried to rip off Davy's Groovy Dance (tm) and failed, because he lacked Davy's essential sweet, cool grace.

I've been sad all day about this; it's good to see all the Monkees love here. They deserve it.
posted by scody at 6:57 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


Lucinda: "Aaaaw, symbioid, do you have this clip to post? I'd love to see it.
here y'go!
"

Thanks, Lucinda!
(I marked my calendar to remind me to convert the scene, but now you just gave me some time back!)
posted by symbioid at 7:05 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by disclaimer at 7:10 PM on February 29, 2012


Here's a good interview with the three guys from last year on BBCs The One Show.
posted by triggerfinger at 7:36 PM on February 29, 2012


I'm too young to remember the band or the TV series first-hand, but I did perform "Daydream Believer" to a crowd of mostly Anglophone expats and tourists at the Amsterdam Hard Rock Cafe some ten years ago. Arguably, I was too young still then to really grasp the gently torso-swaying nostalgia it appeared to induce in some of the older and possibly quite inebriated members of the audience: I just thought — and think — it was a real pretty song.

So if anything, the Monkees taught me that a good pop song is a good pop song, and one should not be scared of not appearing tough enough, of letting the relentless cultural pressure on male musicians to exhibit machismo get in the way of a nice tune. If that's your thing then fair play to you, but I'm a straight guy who used to be quite seriously into punk rock and who still likes some pretty loud balls-out rock and electronic acts, and my touchstone for classic cool still lies firmly on the ABBA—early Beatles axis of Wholesome Manliness. Because, the songs!

I will admit however that cynically, perhaps, the band survives as a little rhetorical device that I like to trot out whenever someone spouts off on a history-agnostic diatribe about how "all music is manufactured these days", which, you know, A: it isn't, and more importantly B: there's a broad spectrum of genuineness that conscious listeners should ideally be aware of, or did you think that when you hear a pop song on the radio, the band played all the parts together at the same time and in one take? Oh, and by the way, because you seem to imply that this is somehow a recent development, C: the Monkees.

So there's something else I can thank them for.

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posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:42 PM on February 29, 2012


Remember that Facebook thing that was going around last month about looking up what song was #1 the week you were born? It turned out mine was "I'm A Believer." Perfect, because I've been a huge Monkees fan for as long as I can remember. They might have been the first band I ever heard!

I finally got my one and only chance to see them play live last year, just about a month before their reunion tour crapped out. Such a great show. They played forever, told tons of stories, showed a bunch of cool video footage, and even did a mini-set of songs from Head. Unbelievable. And yes, I even pushed my way down to the front row. My wife stole the set list off the stage, and we both got to shake Mickey's hand. (Davy was too far away.)

So long Davy, and thanks for all the music and laughs. You were great and you will be missed, and I will always be a believer.

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posted by spilon at 8:06 PM on February 29, 2012


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This is so weird. Other stars I've loved have died, but this is the first time I truly feel like a part of my childhood is gone. And I wasn't even a Davy girl! I was going to learn theoretical physics, build a time machine, go back to 1967 and marry Peter. Sigh.

I interviewed him a few years ago-- he talked my damn ear off for about an hour, but he was so rambling and funny and charming and kind that I just couldn't get off the phone. I wish I still had that tape.
posted by speedlime at 8:18 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]



Like many of us of a certain age, a big part of my teen years memories are now gone forever. This is a bad day.

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posted by Seekerofsplendor at 8:38 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by killy willy at 9:14 PM on February 29, 2012


I was going to marry Davy Jones someday, and Mr. Rogers and LeVar Burton. The last better stay around awhile, or I'll end up an old maid.
posted by psylosyren at 9:20 PM on February 29, 2012 [2 favorites]


Noooo

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posted by Wordwoman at 9:30 PM on February 29, 2012


80s MTV rerun fan here. I went to see them when I was 16 at the Wisconsin State Fair in '86 from tickets I won off WKTI. I had to sing to win, and I sang the chorus of Daydream Believer.

I'm a Mike girl. Such intense eyes. I was upset that Mike wasn't at the show, partially because by then, I was a fan of Mike's solo stuff, and also, I wanted to see if he still had those eyes. It was the one secular music concert I was allowed to go to as a teen.

How these boys from such disparate backgrounds and tastes and artistic goals managed for at least 5 albums to put out some fantastic power pop like they did really is something.

Though not my fave, Davy was so cheeky and cute. I appreciated that, and it was a pleasant surprise to see him doing his song form Oliver when I got my "Beatles on Ed Sullivan" DVD set a couple of years back. One of my favourite parts of Head was the Daddy's Song performance with Toni Basil, and, funnily enough, Davy shrieking "Dandruff!" when they end up in the black box. There about 5 different emotions just in that one vocalization.

Aw, Davy, you weren't supposed to go yet! And if Mike goes before I do, I think I'll actually faint.

"Bob hates this."


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posted by droplet at 9:55 PM on February 29, 2012


Very sad news.

Plus, "Daddy's Song" was my favorite part of Head, just for the sheer showmanship of his performance.

Same here. I got into them as a tot via these three-day Monkees show weekend marathons that MTV used to do in the early eighties, I seem to remember them doing this several times. Then in the early nineties I got Head from a friend (heh) while I was discovering "cult movies".

I have always thought Davy and Paul McCartney had a lot in common, and not just for being cheeky elfin heartbreakers. They are both among the music stars of that era who lived on that bridge between rock and that slightly older world of Broadway, standards and Sinatra and dance halls and resorts in the Catskills. The idea of songwriting and performing as entertainment for entertainment's sake, but with striving for a very high standard of technical excellence within that.

There was a natural tension between that point of view and the more leftist working class Dylan seeds-of-punk strain of rock that Lennon and Tork and the other Monkees identified with much more strongly. Again, just my crazy own theory.

He was at any rate a dynamite performer who will be remembered fondly for a long, long time.
posted by chaff at 9:58 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


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posted by Joh at 10:38 PM on February 29, 2012


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posted by nickyskye at 11:02 PM on February 29, 2012


I had the 45 of "I'm A Believer." But I'm having trouble believing that Davy's gone.

sniff
posted by Lynsey at 11:12 PM on February 29, 2012


In the words of Robert Forster of Australian band The Go-Betweens:

"(the Monkees) music is perfect, as perfect as pop could ever be; Last Train to Clarksville has been written, and we are left with our own imperfection."

RIP Davy.
posted by Infinite Jest at 12:16 AM on March 1, 2012 [2 favorites]


I first discovered The Monkees back in '78 or so. A Pittsburgh station put it on instead of Superman. I remember being upset that I couldn't watch George Reeves. Sigh. I guess I'll just watch this show until Get Smart comes on in a half hour. Wow. It blew my 7-year-old mind. The show was reminding me of The Kids From C.A.P.E.R, The Hudson Brothers, The Banana Splits, & even Mulligan Stew. But the songs were just so damn catchy, the guys so much cooler. I had to keep watching more episodes. I even started recording the songs off of the TV by holding a tape recorder up to the set, since my parents only owned the first album.

Within a week of first seeing The Monkees, I had decided that I wanted to become a musician and had cajoled my best friend Tammy to form a group with me. I called it Monkee II. (We wrote our own songs even.)

As the years passed, I never lost my love of the Monkees. To this day, if Rhino Handmade puts out some Monkees box set, I have to get it. Davy never was my favorite; his songs were usually treacly, his role in the show was to fall in love. But he was a Monkee, so he obviously was important to the other guys. That made him fine in my book. Getting older, I came to realize that Davy could be as hipster ironic as anyone. I mean, "Star Collector"? "Cuddly Toy"? Cool! There's our little unhip Mancunian singing about groupies & gang bangs! And as for being a teen idol, Davy was quite the hero to have. One time, there was a little girl that was struck by a vehicle while going to pick up her repaired record player. She pleaded for Davy to see her before she had surgery to have her leg amputated. So our Mister Jones hopped on a flight to go see her, gave her a big stack of Monkees records, and then came back to see her after the surgery. Take that, Bieber.

Godspeed, Jones. You did well. You made many people happy.

Davy: "I hate goodbyes."
Peter: "Okay. Welcome to America, Davy."
posted by frodisaur at 12:39 AM on March 1, 2012 [3 favorites]


Here's the full Mike Nesmith tribute:

While it is jarring, and sometimes seems unjust, or strange, this transition we call dying and death is a constant in the mortal experience that we know almost nothing about. I am of the mind that it is a transition and I carry with me a certainty of the continuity of existence. While I don't exactly know what happens in these times, there is an ongoing sense of life that reaches in my mind out far beyond the near horizons of mortality and into the reaches of infinity. That David has stepped beyond my view causes me the sadness that it does many of you. I will miss him, but I won't abandon him to mortality. I will think of him as existing within the animating life that insures existence. I will think of him and his family with that gentle regard in spite of all the contrary appearances on the mortal plane. David's spirit and soul live well in my heart, among all the lovely people, who remember with me the good times, and the healing times, that were created for so many, including us. I have fond memories. I wish him safe travels."
posted by timshel at 2:22 AM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]


. always a believer.
posted by arcticseal at 4:34 AM on March 1, 2012


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*runs to bedroom, kicks off Keds, throws self face-down on corduroy bedspread, cries*
posted by kinnakeet at 5:14 AM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]



posted by Smart Dalek at 5:32 AM on March 1, 2012


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posted by drezdn at 6:41 AM on March 1, 2012


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posted by rahnefan at 7:04 AM on March 1, 2012


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posted by Diagonalize at 8:20 AM on March 1, 2012


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posted by Chichibio at 8:43 AM on March 1, 2012


In my teens I had a whole theory worked out that changing your favorite Monkee was sort of a weird rite of passage marking each phase of adulthood - you start with Davy and then go either to Peter for the quiet daydreamy people, the Beatles fans or to Mickey for the rebellious ones, the Stones fans. Finally you become a grownup and make it to Mike and that's it, you're an adult now.

See, I met Davy first through the Brady Bunch ("Girl")--I was already predisposed not to like him for some reason, and like frodisaur said, he was the one with the treacly songs who fell in love every episode. I wasn't very familiar with his work pre-Monkees, so I didn't really "get" Davy Jones.

Mickey was my favorite, and as a drummer myself, stayed my favorite for a long time, until I realized the genius of Peter, I suppose.

I should be a Mike fan (c'mon, Repo Man *and* Tapeheads?) but I just can't do it. He is hilarious, but I just can't grow up.

Plus, "Daddy's Song" was my favorite part of Head, just for the sheer showmanship of his performance.

Same here.


There are a lot of great moments in Head (I particularly remember a scene where Peter punches a woman (and Davy asks for a glass of cold gravy with a hair in it)), so I won't go that far, but I will say that was the moment when I finally grokked Davy Jones. And that scene is spectacular.
posted by mrgrimm at 9:11 AM on March 1, 2012 [2 favorites]


I never saw anything from Head before, but yeah, that was really cool. (And Davy was surprisingly leggy for his height.)
posted by maudlin at 9:49 AM on March 1, 2012


80s fan here. I had tickets to see them with two girlfriends on the 1987 tour. They were playing at Merriwether Post Pavilion - the morning of the concert Davy called in to the Don & Mike Show for an interview. He'd been scheduled for ten minutes but gave Don & Mike almost an hour! I recorded it on a tape on my boombox, sitting under my wall plastered with photos of Davy from teen magazines (I cut them out and passed the magazines to classmates who liked Kirk Cameron (blech).) I still have the tape, as well as the pile of VHS tapes I recorded almost all of the shows on from Nickelodeon back then, even though of course I have the DVDs now.

Anyway, later that day, before the show, we had my dad stop in at Safeway so we could buy flowers for the guys. Jennifer (a Micky fan) and Melinda (a Mike fan but batting Peter that night) both bought carnations - they thought the roses were too expensive. I loved Davy enough that I was willing to give up a rose's worth of allowance. I got an enclosure card, wrote something entirely mushy on it, and labeled the outside envelope "For Davy's eye's only" in my loopy 12-year-old girl script.

At Merriweather Post Pavilion, we were about 2/3 of the way up the rows, but we collared an usher and she promised to try to find a way to get the flowers backstage. Weird Al opened, and the guys played a terrific, high-energy show, which still ranks among the best concerts I've seen. When they came out for their last curtain call, Davy and Peter were carrying the flowers and Micky had his clutched in his teeth! We just about passed out from delight. Years later, it made me cringe a little bit that Davy might have read that sappy message I wrote him, but I know he'd probably heard the same from thousands of girls and would understand.

I busted out HEAD last night. It's been so long since I watched it that it was almost like seeing it again for the first time. I think this weekend I'll pull out Davy's "They Made a Monkee Out of Me" and read it again (it's hilarious, by the way, full of his self-deprecating humor - unfortunately it's out of print and very pricey on Amazon).

And here's what I inflicted on my friends on facebook yesterday. My favorite Davy tune, "She Hangs Out," as well as "Cuddly Toy,", "I Wanna Be Free" (acoustic 2010), "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)" (Neil Diamond, harmony, handclaps, can't be beat.), "Valleri" (with Davy totally failing to mime tambourine successfully - good thing he was so cute), and "Daddy's Song" (which is total self-parody, but he still puts so much joy into it),
posted by jocelmeow at 10:57 AM on March 1, 2012 [2 favorites]


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posted by PippinJack at 1:35 PM on March 1, 2012


The Monkees debuted on TV just days before I was born, so from my perspective they've been around forever. As a little kid watching the daily reruns, I picked up on all the weird humor, bad puns, and just their general love of life and their ability to have fun. I'm sure that influenced those traits in my own life and I'm all the better for it.

Davy, you're well loved and will be well missed.

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posted by kuppajava at 1:43 PM on March 1, 2012


What number is this, Chip?
7A!
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posted by unliteral at 3:57 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]


Hopefully he's got some sort of locker that goes up for auction.

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posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 6:46 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]


jocelmeow- I was at that show too! It was only the second concert of my life, the first having been when the Monkees played Hershey Park Arena in November, 1986. Reading your remembrance of that night took me right back there, to that show, to that time in my life. Thank you for sharing it.

I'm just realizing that first concert I saw, part of their 20th Anniversary Tour, was 25 years ago. It has me thinking about life, and time, and mortality...not bad for a manufactured image, with no philosophies.
posted by pupperduck at 6:51 PM on March 1, 2012 [2 favorites]


"Daydream Believer" was a great song.
posted by Mental Wimp at 11:43 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]


I didn't send any love to the song "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You," but after listening to The Monkees for several hours yesterday, that is one of Davey's best performances.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:10 AM on March 3, 2012


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