Posted on 02/21/2019 8:32:11 AM PST by Red Badger
Peter Tork, a blues and folk musician who became a teeny-bopper sensation as a member of the Monkees, the wisecracking, made-for-TV pop group that imitated and briefly outsold the Beatles, died Feb. 21. He was 77.
His death was confirmed by his sister Anne Thorkelson, who did not say where or how he died. Mr. Tork was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer affecting his tongue, in 2009.
If the Monkees were a manufactured version of the Beatles, a prefab four who auditioned for a rock-and-roll sitcom and were selected more for their long-haired good looks than their musical abilities, Mr. Tork was the groups Ringo, its lovably goofy supporting player.
On television, he performed as the self-described dummy of the group, drawing on a persona he developed while working as a folk musician in Greenwich Village, where he flashed a confused smile whenever his stage banter fell flat. Off-screen, he embraced the Summer of Love, donning moccasins and love beads and declaring that nonverbal, extrasensory communication is at hand and that dogmatism is leaving the scene.
A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Mr. Tork mostly played bass and keyboard for the Monkees, in addition to singing lead on tracks including Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again, which he wrote for the groups psychedelic 1968 movie, Head, and Your Auntie Grizelda.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Boyce and Hart
Carole King
Neil Diamond
The Monkees had some top-notch song writers.
Yes, and he and a couple other people do a commentary track on the DVD.
Nesmith is still alive.
I always wondered.
Did the one who played the tambourine do so because he can’t play a regular musical instrument?
I saw the Monkees perform at a pre-game concert at Candlestick Park in the late 80’s I will never forget the thousands of boomers who knew all the words to their songs singing along with them. When they played “I’am A Believer” it was deafening. What a fun time!
RIP Peter and thanks for the memories.
Maybe Dolenz, Nesmith and Barry Gibb can get together and form the Beekeeys?
Davey Jones was a singer, not a player.............
‘Its surprising how well the music of the Monkees holds up today as compared with a lot of the 60s bubble gum music.’
‘Daydream Believer’ was a classic...and they covered a couple of Neil Diamond tunes, I think, ‘A Little Bit Me, Little Bit You’, a real good song...note how much it resembles Diamond’s great classic ‘Cherry, Cherry’...
Hey did anyone tell ya Mike Nesmith is still alive?
Sorry, I had to do it :-)
Actually I have a couple of Nesmith’s albums, and I think all the Monkees albums. I watched their TV show in 66, learned several of their songs, (Been a guitar player since 1960) always liked their music.
Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith never really got credit for their ability as musicians. Mike is a great songwriter and very good guitar player, as well as other instruments, and Peter can play multiple instruments too. Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones ended up learning guitar or keyboards, but Mike and Peter were actually musicians.
My favorite Nesmith songs are from the album “From a Radio Engine to a Photon Wing” album and “Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma” both from the 70’s. “Rio” was one nice laid back song, the song “Cruisin” was a later effort and won best video on MTV in their 1st year or 2.
The Monkees actually did their first tour with Hendrix, they both got along very well but parted company halfway through, both realizing it just didn’t work. They both were still huge fans of each other though, and parted on friendly terms.
Sorry to hear Peter is no longer with us...I just recorded a couple of Monkees songs onto mp3 not long ago, I Have a turntable that plugs into a USB port. It was fun listening to them again...”Your Auntie Grizelda” is an old favorite. “I’m Gonna Buy Me A Dog” is one of the songs I recorded...yeah I have a streak of 60’s weird still...
RIP
So WaPo wants me to pay $1 to read the article. Go get it from Bezos and call me back when he pays.
RIP, Mr. Tork. Thanks for the fond memories of my childhood.
L
Even though I saw the Monkees perform 15-20 years ago, they’ll always be those wonderful young lads, having fun with music. They actually become very fine musicians. Their start was as a media invention for TV ratings.
I have read, and I have heard over the years it Mr. Tork and his wife were renowned swingers in the Hollywood clique.
Good clean music, no innuendoes, no hidden meanings, no cursing, no profanity...................
Nesmith is generally credited with creating the modern "music video" when he decided to produce several videos to promote songs from his "Elephant Parts" album.
My favorite Monkees moment was Mike Nesmith “interviewing” Frank Zappa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLXVz5fms10
Im guessing because of their pre-fab origins, The Monkees will never be nominated for the Rock HOF.
Thats unfortunate, because their music, for that era, was some of the best ever produced.
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