88: The Monkees; Or, Daydream Believers

Description

When Beatlemania swept the nation in the 1960s, the only logical and properly capitalistic response was to ask: “How can we steal this idea and turn it into a good ol’ American money grab?” And thus was born the idea for a show featuring four talented, eccentric bandmates who just want to make some noise, shake a timbourine, and go on some wild adventures. But when these fictional band buddies decided to break the fourth wall of their TV show by taking control of the music production itself, things went, well, a little bananas…

Ray teaches Rob about the Monkees, a uniquely American creation that shamelessly ripped off and riffed on the success of the Beatles; how producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider (no relation) found their four lead actors; how the only Monkee with no drumming experience ended up behind the kit; Don Kirschner’s “Golden Ear”; why you shouldn’t believe everything you read about Monkees album sales; and whether, after all is said and done, the Monkees were a legitimate band, or just a wannabe group of actors with instruments.

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