True Story of The Monkees starring Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Neil Diamond and Boyce and Hart

First of all, let's dispel the myth Stephen Stills tried out to be one of the Monkees.  He now claims he was only trying to sell them songs.  I believe him.  He has integrity.  The producers went with songs written by Neil Diamond instead.   Oh…and songs written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who had also written the theme some for the soap Days of Our Lives.  Boyce and Hart even recorded the Monkee's songs with their band the Candy Store Prophets. 

Later when the Monkees  (rather the Monkees with lesser talent and less integrity than Mike Nesmith) toured amusement parks in 1975, Boyce and Hart filled in.  It was years after, and who cared.

Testimony to the good taste of the music consuming public, the Monkees have sold 65 million "copies" worldwide, but I'm not sure what a copy is.  Vinyl?  Compact Disc?  Vaporized digital apple u-tune? 

Lovable Mop-top Peter Tork was the first to quit…and he had to BUY his way out of the contract.  He had to PAY to leave.  Bad move Pete. 

Stephen Stills and Neil Young DID later provide backing tracks for the Simians.  I'm not sure if any of the tracks have been released on Neil's super huge box sets, but I hope so.

There is NO TRUTH to the rumor that Astronaut John Glenn tried out for the band...but he did replace a monkey in the Mercury Spacecraft Friendship Seven. 

For the record, in full disclosure, the author performed "Last Train to Clarksville" in a band in the 8th Grade.  We sucked like a Dyson, only worse.

Representative Monkey Postcard 1940 McKee Jungle Gardens Orchestra 
Collection Jim Linderman

Books and ebooks by the author HERE