magicdog

Yes, Micky admitted he was surprised she put up with his antics for as long as she did before they split. I had heard it was several years before Micky and Samantha were at "friend status". From what I understand from Mick's autobiography, hey did eventually get close again, even though they remarried to others but it took time. I'm curious what Amy had to say in this. I hope Micky writes a sequel to his autobiography. He admitted in the forward that he thought he was too young to write one (he was about 48 at the time), and now that he's 73 (!), maybe he can reflect more on events since the 90s.

We've had a bit of a shake up at the office. The News Director got the ax (she did something that was not run by upper management first), so guess who's angling for that job now? Right - my bitcheroo boss (current Assistant News Director) who made my life hell last summer by not only writing me up for something not my fault, but putting me on the opposite shift for nearly 3 months just to mess with me and show me who was in charge. Now she's kissing up to everyone as she aspires to get to ND position. She had the gall to show up out of the blue on the overnight shift after the firing was announced to ask us if we "needed anything" - as if she were our respected den mother! Those of us who are already wise to her know she's spreading it thick to make us think she'd be a great boss. Uh...no! It's not as if we're in a position to nominate her or vote for her. If we were you can guess what my vote would be. She's even been "extra pleasant" in my presence! She even tapped the window of my car and smiled and waved! I half hope she does get it if only that she'll fall on her face! There's no hiding incompetence in the ND position and her BFF was fired already for her own screw ups. Otherwise, I hope it's a person who is not only competent, but doesn't befriend her like last ND did and calls her out on her crap! It's her and her mean girl group who pushed out the first competent Executive Producer we've had in ages. This guy listened to editors and photogs concerns and actually tried to get things across to Bitcheroo. Bitcheroo only ignored him and let her producers do as they pleased. He couldn't stand being blocked constantly, so he finally left after about 6 months. Why are people like her in charge of anything????

When The Monkees' 20th anniversary rolled around, I became one of the 2nd generation fans. As such, I became interested in all things Monkee - including their only big screen appearance, "Head". I wondered what the film was like since it wasn't turning up on TV or cable and it wasn't on home video yet either. Most fans (even first generation fans) had never seen it. Any books detailing the summary were nebulous. I had the chance when I picked up a bootleg copy on VHS. When I watched it for the first time, I was stunned, confused and utterly bewildered! The movie was nothing like the show (at the time I didn't know that and in my mind, it would have made sense to do something similar to the show for what could have been the first of several films) and I found myself wondering what did I just see. What were the vignettes about? What were the filmmakers trying to say? Why are the guys so unlikable? When I learned that the film was comprised of ideas spouted into a tape recorder during a weekend filled with Jack Nicholson and Maui Wowie, that helped explain some things. In hindsight, I think Raybert wanted to destroy the monster they'd created. They made a lot of money from The Monkees entity and now they wanted to be taken seriously and become part of the "New Hollywood" scene. That was the end goal, and to have a Monkees film be a success, that meant being saddled with the guys for longer than they wanted. First they get Jack Nicholson to write a trippy script (rather than get some writers from the show), then arrange for an ad campaign which never showed or mentioned the Monkees were in the film. The second trailer corrected this but IMO, it was too little too late. One of the books on the band (I believe it was "The Monkees, a Manufactured Image") mentioned that the movie originally was rated "R" (even though there's nothing in the film that would have garnered such a rating) when first released which hampered fans from seeing it. It was changed to "G" sometime afterwards, but I don't think it would have made much difference if fans had seen the film in '68 because it wasn't like the group they'd come to know on TV. I suspect they would have rejected the movie anyway. Mike was quoted as denying that the film was meant to be the band's swan song - at least from the band's perspective. They wanted to do what the Beatles had done - make a series of films as well as music. I can't blame them for wanting to take things further, but Columbia and Raybert were ready to move on and didn't give a whit about them anymore, beyond having them fulfill their remaining album commitments. The only thing that seems clear about the film is that the guys to some degree wanted to poke fun at their "manufactured image" ("Ditty Diego War Chant"), and that of Hollywood itself (like the scene in which Micky is hit with a fake arrow and gets annoyed and bursts through the fake backdrop in anger). I remember Davy said in an interview that it was a movie the Monkees should have made but not at the time they made it. Essentially they should have popped the proverbial balloon later rather than sooner. Micky said in this interview (forward to 16:30) that the Monkees we saw in Head weren't "our" Monkees, but an alt-universe Monkees. It's a three part interview so I recommend listening to all of them to hear his thoughts on the Monkee experience. When the Monkees 20th anniversary came around, there was talk of a Monkees movie again, but nothing came of it, obviously. I had heard it was to be titled, "The Monkees Save The World". If one could have come up with a better idea for the first Monkee movie, what would you have done? I can think of a multitude. There were times I had thought that they could have gone up against all of their defeated foes from the show (who would have banded together like a sort of "Legion of Monkee Doom") and be constantly on the run while trying to save their lives. While dealing with that, they learn their friend, Millie Rudnick (Rose Marie) was the twin sister of one of the villians - Bessie Kowalski, aka, "The Big Man's Wife" (aka, "The Big Woman"). The sisters were estranged due to the fact that Millie married a decent guy and lead a decent lifestyle while Bessie became a torch singer and ran off with a gangster. Meanwhile, the guys round up some allies of their own (some from the show, others written for the film - plus more celebrity cameos) and find a way to come out on top. Another, slightly darker version, might be bringing in Monte Landis who played the Devil (aka, Mr. Zero) who was back for revenge against the boys for beating him out for Peter's soul. Perhaps calling it, "The Last Temptation of Peter". Peter is being tempted again somehow and has 24 hours to resist falling to it. If he fails, he'll either be condemned to Hell for eternity again or perhaps in a switch, Mike, Micky and Davy are presented with their own temptations and it's Peter who has to prevent them from succumbing and save their souls.

My Dad and I used to watch the show too. He watched it first run (far from being the target audience, as he was just a few years older than the Monkees themselves), but he thought they were funny and the music likable. Before he passed away we were watching the show again one weekend and he laughed himself silly during "The Chaperone". He pointed to the TV and said, "It's corny, but those guys make it work! They help make it funny!". Totally true.

Same here. The show was likable when it first aired, but having caught reruns on LOGO, it hasn't aged well. It's a shame since Ted Knight was a fantastic actor (and VA - he voiced the intros for Fantastic Voyage and the original Superfriends show), and was capable of both drama and comedy. I do remember one episode however which took place shortly after the girls moved into the downstairs apartment. They had thrown a wild party which had both their parents up all night and being visited by bikers and such! You're right about the re-structure. Suddenly it became, The Ted Knight Show, with his character and wife moving to a Northern California enclave and tangling with a co-worker/neighbor played by Pat Carroll. I think it was to run a small town newspaper.

There would be a line around the block 3 times for every showing if they did! I'd run back to see an unadulterated version of the first film for sure!! I'm with you on this one! Before the film was available legally, I had a bootleg on VHS. I couldn't wait to see this much praised film (I think it wasn't until the early 70s when critics started praising it as an example of 60s rebellion). I was left feeling stunned and confused. I even found the guys unlikable for the most part! IMO, I think the Monkees were sabotaged (sabotooged?) by Raybert. If the band had a successful film, then that meant they'd be saddled with them for either another season of the show or 2 or three more films and they wanted to get out and join their peers in the world of "New Hollywood". That meant making a film that would alienate fans and non fans alike.

The question is why? Those were movies done RIGHT!! Especially the Disney Renaissance period films! To me it's a waste of time and money. Maybe they should reboot the Apple Dumpling Gang or Candleshoe instead! Or you know, try a more original story. It was better than I thought it would be, and I liked the in-joke of questioning why Alexandra was even there! The first live action film wasn't exactly Oscar worthy but I found it to be a guilty pleasure. I'm curious what the new live action reboot might be like. Personally, I'd rather see a new animated series than a live action film of the He-Man universe.

I don't know why they'd want to reboot Charlie's Angels again! The first film was ok (propped up by William Forsythe coming back as the voice of Charlie), the second was forgettable, and the TV reboot flopped big time (though I think in part it was because the TV reboot chose to make the angels former criminals, whereas in the original, they were former cops who felt unfulfilled). I really don't see this working out well. With my luck it will end up as distasteful and unfunny as the Baywatch movie!

He did wear lifts for while. He mentioned in his memoirs that he had lifts put in his shoes to make about 5’8. He said he was so obsessed with being caught “short” and would slip on his shoes the minute he heard a knock on the door!

True unfortunately. They won't adopt out any black animal until after Halloween. As for the movie, I just couldn't enjoy it. Too many plot holes and complete lapse in logic.

Sorry Mindthinkr! Plus - Petunia13, there is always the option to send the poop!!!

Yes, I saw the documentary about the family. I felt awful for Susan!

Any chance you could replace the gum with spicy gum or nasty tasting joke gum? I also like the idea of recording it and uploading it to your page.

That reminds me of a friend of mine and her finance. They went back to his hometown in Texas and met his friends and family. She has told both her friends and fiance that she hates Chinese food and would not eat in a restaurant that serves it. Her fiance loves it but respected her wishes. When they got home and met up with friends, they immediately wanted to go to their favorite Chinese restaurant! Her fiance was VERY adamant they not go. Believe it or not it took a while for the friends to get the message that she wasn't going to eat in a place she knew she wouldn't enjoy. Props to her fiance for sticking up for her!

I remember that! Did you know that the manager, "Rudy" was played by Bing Russell - father of Kurt?? I'd heard about this promotion (it was recreated in the VH-1 TV movie about he Monkees). I had also read about it in Micky's memoirs; it mentioned that they would take on passengers, travel up the line and back while they played. Unfortunately, the drums weren't tied down and Micky had a heck of a time trying to keep stable. On the deluxe version of their first album, a radio announcement for that event is included between songs.

That is an awesome story funky-rat!!

Hee! As a matter of fact, in the beginning, I didn't know that his wool cap was indeed his! I had thought when I first saw the show as a child that it was a gimmick for his character. When I saw his audition video, there he was wearing it! I had since read his grandmother made it for him - and he'd often wear it to keep is hair out of his eyes when he was on his motorcycle. I also remember an interview in which he had mentioned he'd lost the cap at some point, although wardrobe had given him at least two other knit caps during the show's run. He also mentioned someone actually had reunited him with the original many, many years later. It's one of my faves as well. I prefer the one that sounds more psychedelic rather than the country-ish one. I also enjoy St. Matthew and "If I Ever Get To Saginaw Again" (even though he didn't write that one).

The "Deluxe" versions of their albums tend to have more versions of certain songs or alternate takes. Believe it or not, I liked the first version of Valleri more than the polished version that was eventually released on The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees album. As far as romps go, I'd always enjoyed the one from "The Spy Who Came In From The Cool". It seems to have all the relevant clips of them at their zaniest and it flowed well to the song, "Saturday's Child". I do wish that current repeats would try to dub in the more current tunes (from their 2016 Good Times album). It would make sense since it was normal to do that when the show was in its original run to boost new releases. Some YT fans dubbed in "Our Own World" over the romp from "One Man Shy" and it fits almost perfectly!

I can't understand why anyone would scream about it either. Jags aren't THAT hard to get (expensive, but not unobtainable).

David Letterman had a Top Ten list of greatest tambourine players. I think Davy won 1st, 3rd and 5th. I had the fortune of meeting Davy twice and he was kind to me both times. He signed an autograph for me on a napkin after a solo performance about 15 or so years back. The second time occured during my time at a local TV station. I heard he was in town and suggested we get him on. He obliged. Being a big Monkee fan I offered to make to set look better with some props - my personal Monkee memorabilia collection! I included Davy - specific items like his solo album he recorded in 65 before officially joining the Monkees (Davy joked on air that the album cover showed him during his Frankie Avalon period!). I was so thrilled to meet him again! He even autographed everything I brought and gave me a warm hug!! I was on Cloud 9 for days!! Maybe I caught him on good days? I had figured he was accustomed to dealing with fans and signing memorabilia for them. I'm not saying that's easy to deal with (I'd be annoyed by it after a while), but I'm glad that my meetings with him were good ones. I had heard about the heavy drinking that occurred in the years before he died. There was a rumor some of it was related to his last marriage to one Jessica Pacheco. No one seemed to like her and thought her an opportunist (even the other Monkees and Davy's older daughters chose not to attend their wedding). There was also a rumor (never validated) that Davy's brother in law (his third wife's brother) was involved in shaking down venues for money during the 2011 tour and pocketing it. His wife was also suspected of physically abusing him. During one of their last Monkee tours, his wife would do flamenco dances in between sets and fans were not too pleased seeing this "interloper" perform. I've never been at those concerts, but from what I'd heard this was her way of horning in on the act and few if anyone in the audience enjoyed the performance. TBH, something like that doesn't fit into a Monkee concert anyway. The concerts for decades never changed significantly in that it was the Monkees as a group singing songs from the show/latest album, and each Monkee separately singing a song that was more personal to them. Peter sang folk songs (like "Cripple Creek"), Mickey would do an R&B tune (although in the 90s he used to love to sing "Since I Fell For You" by the Vogues), Davy would do a show tune (although many fans begged him to sing "Girl"!), and Mike would do Country or R&B ("Can't Judge a Book By It's Cover"). Flamenco dancing was never in the equation. I'm no expert, but based on rumor alone, it seems Davy was lonely and didn't want to grow old and alone, which lead him to marrying the wrong woman.

This is the second time I've heard about Micky being a jerk to people. As you mentioned, everyone has bad days and all, but it hurts when one is treated badly. The Blockbuster Buster was doing a review of The Tick cartoon series (in which Micky voiced The Moth for the first season) and mentioned that Micky had a bit of a jerk reputation in the VA community. He related a comic con in the past in which voice actors were talking about their experience with Micky. Click here and go to 11:17. Based on how VA Candi Milo reacted to him, I think she sounded like a 6th grade mean girl! To be fair, I think Micky was going through his second divorce around that time so it could have made his attitude a little less than chirpy. I'm not excusing it, though.

It was because the other three had grown beards during their film break (they had been busy recording Headquarters during the time they filmed the intro). I guess someone thought it funny to make them wear fake beards over the real ones (since they had a clean shaven image to keep) rather than make them shave. Also to note that much of the action that took place off stage was faked for the episode. Sort of a proto-"reality TV" thing. Peter acknowledged in a DVD commentary that their director (Bob Rafelson) would tell them to remark about the area around them, to make things look interesting for TV ("Say something 'green' Peter" was one of those). The hotel the group stayed at was completely booked for the guys and the crew. No other guests whatsoever.

At the time, TPTB (Kirshner in particular) thought Mike and Peter were the weakest vocalists and thought Micky and Davy were the most commercial in terms of selling records. I still enjoy Mike's vocals - as he tends to shine best on the country rock he helped pioneer but he's far from awful. Here's his vocals on one of the earliest recording of his song, "Girl I Knew From Somewhere". While I understand going with Micky's rendition, it's still pleasant to hear and is a nice switch up from time to time. Peter was a decent vocalist (you had to be able to sing to audition for the group after all!) but at the time it was more limited compared to the other three. He could do folk tunes well enough and he sounded great singing his part of "Shades of Gray", and hilariously OTT for "Auntie Grizelda". But he was limited in register - especially for rock and pop music which as The Monkees bread and butter. There's a song which was not included in original release of More Of The Monkees album called "I Don't Think You Know Me". The song had three different vocal versions - one for Mike one for Micky and one for Peter. I think Mike's version is the best and honestly it should have been included on one of their early albums back in the day. I do admit Peter's version has been growing on me despite its flaws. Peter has improved a lot over the years and he can still wow-em at concerts.

IRL there are plenty of people who have little more to do than make certain people miserable. Others seem to want to prove to themselves who really has it better. I noticed in the podcast the mention of wanting to know about "throwing a shoe". It occurs occasionally when a horse's shoe isn't nailed properly into the hoof, or the horse was close to outgrowing them and the hoof forced them upwards. They are essentially the equivalent of a fingernail and can indeed crack if not cared for properly. I have no doubt that Nels would truly be in the 7th circle if Nellie lost (and lost the heirloom - which Laura graciously returned to them). During the podcast summary there was a mention about how the Olsens came to marry. Especially since you can't imagine Harriett not having always been a bit haughty and believing she and her kids need to live like Vanderbilts or a random robber baron. I can't help but wonder if Nels married her because he "soiled" her (touched a body part he shouldn't have after meeting her) and was compelled to marry her ASAP. He had to live with the consequences ever since. On castor oil.... It was indeed often prescribed by old time doctors and nagging moms for decades! My dad told me he was given the oil to keep him "regular". Fortunately there are better ways to use castor oil - like thickening and lengthening eyelashes!!

Congrats Hero! What kind of work is it?