“That was then, This is Now”: Remembering The Monkees in the ‘80s

Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz of The Monkees
in 1986 amid their 20th anniversary tour.
Source: www.www.monkeeslivealmanac.com

(may be subject to copyright)

They are best remembered for their TV show and hit singles such as “Daydream Believer”, “I’m a Believer”, and “Last Train to Clarksville” in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, but The Monkees experienced a bit of a revival in the 1980s.

That's where I first picked up their trail.

When Peter Tork, who played keyboards and bass for The Monkees, passed away earlier this week, it reminded me of when I first heard them, and of that comeback they made mid-decade.

Pre-history

The Monkees consisted of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, and British singer and actor Davy Jones. They were formed specifically for a TV show that aired from 1966 to 1968, but they continued recording and performing until 1971. Through that period they would have a string of hit singles that included “Daydream Believer”, “Pleasant Valley Sunday”, “I’m a Believer”, and “Last Train to Clarksville”

Flashback

Every day after school I used to watch “Entertainment Tonight” hosted by Mary Hart and a variety of male co-hosts, most notably Robb Weller and John Tesh. They did a lot of stories on current TV shows and movies, played some music videos and profiled a lot of celebrities.

They also did some interesting features. One that I recall very well was a look back at old comedies, partly because I not only looked forward to it every day, but I actually wrote them down each day.  There was “Hogan’s Heroes”, “The Real McCoys”, and…”The Monkees”.

I had never really heard of The Monkees to that point, but this piece on “Entertainment Tonight” showed old clips, interviewed the band members, and described it as a show that tried to capitalize on the popularity of The Beatles. I remember thinking these guys even looked like The Beatles.

It was not until I started listening to music on the radio that I actually heard some of their hit singles.

That all changed in 1986.

Revival

It was another one of those odd moments. I was listening to the radio while I was working at Gergeley’s Greenhouse, in late June of 1986, when I heard the announcer say the previous song was by The Monkees. I had not paid much attention, but it struck me as kind of odd because I did not recall hearing one of their songs.

It was not until I heard a countdown show shortly thereafter that I discovered in fact The Monkees had released a new single.

It was called “That was then, This is Now”, and it went all the way to number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, the band’s first top 40 hit in almost 20 years.

It capitalized on a revival led by MTV and Nickolodeon, two TV channels that reran the old Monkees TV series.

"That was then, This is now," would be the last single the Monkees would chart.

Parting thoughts

The Monkees had experienced their greatest success before I was even born, which included three singles that went to number one, one that went to number two, and two that went to number three. I came to know their music strictly from whatever the radio played. The Monkes broke up in 1971, a year after I was born, and seemed to live on only on the radio.

Although it is quite common now, The Monkees may have been the first band I saw who experienced a revival more than a decade after they disbanded.

Now, revivals can be fuelled by the Internet and social media where people have access to virtually any old TV show or music they want.

In the 1980s, it was not as easy. Revivals were fuelled by conventional TV with shows such as “Entertainment Tonight”, and specialty channels such as MTV and Nickolodeon, who were always looking for content for their 24-hour cycle. They tried to capitalize on viewers’ sense of nostalgia.

That is what happened to The Monkees. The segment on “Entertainment Tonight” actually promoted the show being aired on the specialty channels. Then, all those episodes were aired and suddenly there was an appetite for something new from The Monkees. Not only was it new, but it proved popular enough to go all the way to the top 20 – 18 years after their last top 40 single.

The Monkees would continue to record and tour, and even celebrated their 50^th anniversary in 2016. Davy Jones died in 2012, and Peter Tork died yesterday, on Feb. 21, 2019.

It was a reminder that everything old can be new again, something we see an awful lot these days.