Elephant Parts

January 8, 2010 2:34 PM

Lucy and Ramona, cruisin' through the jungles of L.A. • How to achieve Neighborhood Nuclear Superiority • Name That Drug! • Joanne Rodanne • Marketing Strategies of Detroit Car Makers • In 1981, Michael Nesmith (well-known for being the heir to the Liquid Paper empire, inventing MTV, and other things) released Elephant Parts, which went on to win the first Grammy Award for Video of the Year. Here's more from Elephant Parts.
posted by not_on_display (29 comments total)

Wow! I caught myself humming Lucy and Ramona just yesterday as I was out working in my garden and catching some sun. And on a sidenote, my Boy Scout troop disbanded when everyone quit going to the Tuesday night meetings becuase that was the same night The Monkees was on.
posted by buggzzee23 at 2:50 PM on January 8, 2010

Michael Nesmith...well-known for...inventing MTV

Actually, Nesmith "invented" one of the predecessors of MTV -- PopClips on Nickelodeon in 1981.

There were other predecessors that pre-date Nesmth: QUBE Sight On Sound (1977), Robert Pittman's NBC Album Tracks in the late 70's and New Zealand's TVNZ network, Radio with Pictures, which premiered in 1976 and from which Nesmith took inspiration for PopClips. *
posted by ericb at 2:58 PM on January 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

We can't forget to mention Soundies, which date back to WWII
posted by buggzzee23 at 3:01 PM on January 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

DiscourseMarker is very put out that you made this awesome post on a night when she is too busy to come and look at it.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:04 PM on January 8, 2010

To the arbiters of Old Skool Video Cred, I submit that I own Elephant Parts on Laserdisc.

Do I win?
posted by Dr. Wu at 3:22 PM on January 8, 2010

Oooh, Monkees trivia! Michael Nesmith has the same birthday as Davy Jones. Peter Tork taught math. Mickey Dolenz is the voice of Snuggle the Fabric Softener Bear.

My work here is done.
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:46 PM on January 8, 2010

I watched the DVD of this a few months ago, and found that it had not aged well, though Lucy and Ramona was still pretty awesome.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 3:55 PM on January 8, 2010

"One Ton Tomato. I ate a one ton tomato. One ton toe-may-tohhhhh. I ate a one ton tomaaaaay-tohhhhhh."

Ah. That was some funny funny stuff.
posted by tkchrist at 3:58 PM on January 8, 2010

.... paging Mr. Doboleena, Mr. Bob Doboleena ....
posted by Afroblanco at 4:14 PM on January 8, 2010 [3 favorites]

Zilch!
posted by Joey Michaels at 4:17 PM on January 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

...Never mind the furthermore, the plea is self-defense...
posted by Splunge at 5:41 PM on January 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

How super excellent, it's like I am 13 again and back in the Golden Age of VCR. Thanks for the links.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:20 PM on January 8, 2010

I've said this before, probably here, but it's time for The Monkees to be rehabilitated. They were much cooler than they got credit for, and yes, they started as a gimmick band recruited through auditions to ape The Beatles and A Hard Day's Night, but they became legitimate musicians and completely bucked their handlers and told them to go die when that was an unheard of thing to do. Plus, they had some great tunes.
posted by DecemberBoy at 6:38 PM on January 8, 2010 [2 favorites]

"Can I have another Mar-ni-gar-ita for my wife's fire, please?" (paraphrasing) I have a battered VHS copy of this in my cabinet and no way to play it.

My uncle showed EP to me when I was probably too young and it became a staple in our house. "Sunset Sam" made me want to move to L.A. and now here I am. So thank you (and some days screw you) Mr. Nesmith.
posted by Kloryne at 6:54 PM on January 8, 2010

DecemberBoy-I have the CD soundtrack for the movie Head. It has some great stuff. They were indeed real musicians. And they had their own style. Much of which is underrated.
posted by Splunge at 6:55 PM on January 8, 2010

I just rewatched Head again about 2 nights ago. I *heart* Elephant Parts. I have at least one Monkees album in original quadraphonic sound. I used to host watching parties when the show was being rerun on MTV in the 80s.

Jeez, I'm actually a Monkees geek, and I'm just now realizing it? This is a tad disturbing.
posted by hippybear at 6:59 PM on January 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Anecdata: When I was a child I had all of the Monkees albums. Then I was in High school and the Monkees weren't cool. But a close female friend still liked them. So I gave her my whole collection.

My brother, who is 3 years younger than me, was pissed off!

So he went out and repurchased every album. Which I still have today.

Sarah, I hope you still have those albums, they are cool. Phil, I still have your collection at my house.

I miss my lost youth.

And a decent turntable.

::sigh::

Hippybear- Embrace your Monkee soul. (Place smiley emoticon here)
posted by Splunge at 7:18 PM on January 8, 2010

Fun Fact: Stephen Stills auditioned for The Monkees. Charles Manson, however, did NOT: he was still in prison at the time and could not have possibly auditioned, that's an urban myth.
posted by DecemberBoy at 7:52 PM on January 8, 2010

Everyone knows Mike's mom invented Liquid Paper, right? Right.
posted by Lucinda at 8:04 PM on January 8, 2010

Of course y'do, it's right there in the OP. Sigh.

Mike was always my favorite. The modest but towering Texan needs no introduction. His stoic-like ability to endure pain proves why he is a leader among men.
posted by Lucinda at 8:06 PM on January 8, 2010

Dear Bobo....

Hubby's absolute favorite surrealist!
posted by Jinx of the 2nd Law at 8:12 PM on January 8, 2010

let's not forget that canada's greatest rock and roll band got their name from this - the tragically hip
posted by pyramid termite at 8:19 PM on January 8, 2010

Reno? Why Reno?

Not Reno, dummy, Rio! Rio duh jennero!

(and you know what? The same thing goes for Christmas!)

/dork (/wishful thinking)
posted by biscotti at 8:53 PM on January 8, 2010

I think you had to have an older sibling really into the Beatles for the Monkees to hit you hard. The Fab Four were old folks' music, as far as 8-year-old me was concerned. (Besides, who needs to buy albums when you can annoy your whole family by holding a tape-recorder up to the TV, finger on the pause button, waiting for "Last Train to Clarksville" to start?)

And I heart Elephant Parts with a passion. Way, way before its time. So funny even now. Everytime I hear "Lucy and Ramona" (and I haven't in a while, so thanks for this great post), I think about how this is what Lou Reed would've sounded like if he moved to L.A., and traded heroin for Humphrey Yogart.
posted by turducken at 9:16 PM on January 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

And don't forget "Dr. Duck's Super Secret All Purpose Sauce" (1986). It features Martin Mull and Jimmy Buffett doing videos. I don't think it was ever released on DVD or VHS. I've got copies of "Elephant Parts" and "Dr. Duck" on Laserdisc and still watch them often.
posted by TDavis at 10:35 PM on January 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Why do I hear the bassline for the Pretenders' "Back to Ohio" in my head when I listen to "Cruisin'"?
posted by ostranenie at 9:21 AM on January 11, 2010

Er, "My City Was Gone," but you already knew that.
posted by ostranenie at 9:23 AM on January 11, 2010

Also: "If we were the Monkees, we'd be ready by now." --Frank Zappa, while band is tuning instruments. Originally brought to my attention by the Snark Handbook.
posted by ostranenie at 9:31 AM on January 11, 2010

"You think *our* music, the Monkees' music, is BANAL and INSIPID?"
posted by Lucinda at 12:08 PM on January 11, 2010 [3 favorites]