The
Monkees originally aired from 1966 to 1968 and became a real band when
their hits singles like "Last Train to Clarksville", "Pleasant
Valley Sunday", "Daydream Believer", and "I'm a Believer".
They have sold more than 75 million records worldwide and had international hits
and at their peak in 1967, the band outsold the Beatles and the Rolling
Stones combined.
1986
saw the Monkees’ 20th anniversary and once again they found themselves
in the limelight singing their longtime fan favorites but adding new hits like,
“That Was Then This Is Now,” with Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. By that time,
Davy Jones had joined them once again as they released “Heart and Soul.”
Even though today is
Christmas and I was going to take the day off, as I was going to suggest all
the Moderators do, I decided that I indeed would be able to find something
Classic Nick to post today so here it is.
Most of you know The Monkees
from watching their TV series in the 1970’s when it aired in reruns. Fast
forward to February 23, 1986 when, a then five-year-old, MTV broadcast A
Monkees TV show marathon called "Pleasant Valley Sunday" for the
group’s 20th anniversary.
The group that was once brushed
off by critics during their heyday as manufactured and lacking talent announced
a "20th Anniversary Tour". Tour
dates grew from smaller to larger venues and became one of the biggest live
acts of 1986 and 1987 with Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork playing North America.
All four Monkees would later reunite as Davy Jones, and eventually Michael
Nesmith, rejoining the group spreading Monkee shines everywhere they went.
With a new surge of Monkeemania
well on its way Nickelodeon began to run their old series daily and a whole new
generation of kids welcomed the Monkees into their hearts as The Monkees’
original albums began selling again and a smaller version of Monkeemania began
to spread.
The 20th
anniversary of the Monkees in 1986 was not only a revival for them but their rediscovered
fame generated the first official Monkees single since 1971. "That Was
Then, This Is Now" was listed as No. 20 position in Billboard Magazine which
featured only Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. As the due gained new fans Davy
Jones later joined the Monkees for “Heart & Soul” later that year.
As was customary with sitcoms
of it’s time The Monkees also filmed a Christmas special in which they helped a
greedy boy find the true meaning of Christmas. The end of the epiode featured
the quartet gathered around a microphone singing a traditional Spanish
Christmas son called “Ríu Ríu Chíu.”