In the years since their original disbanding, the group has reunited in various incarnations, mostly involving Dolenz, Tork and Jones, but not Nesmith. The first reunion began in 1986 and at first featured only Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. Davy Jones joined the others and a new album was released before they split again in 1989.
The next regrouping took place between 1993 and 1997 and featured a new album that included the particpation of all four members. A further reunion between 2001 and 2002, was followed by another reunion in 2011 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the television show. This reunion was cut short before 2011 had ended due to scheduling problems with the anniversary tour.
The unexpected death of Davy Jones at the beginning of 2012 prompted the most recent reunion tour, this time featuring Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith.
Created by producers of a TV series to be an American Beatles, the antics of the Monkees band members on the television series were very reminscent of Beatles' antics in films like 'Help' and 'Hard Day's Night'. Indeed, in songs like 'Forget that Girl...', the band and even the lead singer could sound just like the Beatles. With songs provided by Don Kirshner from such writers as Neil Diamond and Carole King, among others, the Monkees were assured of pop success. However, in the beginning, the four group members were hired only as actors to front the band and to provide the vocals whilst studio musicians recorded the backing music. These recordings were provided by Kirshner. Things changed though after the success of the single Last Train to Clarksville, the first hit, leading to demands that the band play live gigs. Having learned to play the music, the band became angry when the second LP was recorded (by Kirshner) by studio musicians, without their knowledge or musical input. They therefore demanded and obtained control of the music.
Nesmith who revealed that the band did not perform on their records was also instrumental in getting Don Kirshner sacked. the next album Headquarters was recorded by The Monkees alone, using hand picked producer Chip Douglas. While not as successful as their first two albums it made it to number one, only to be replaced a week later by The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album. The Monkees eventually settled on a formula of using their own talents as well as those of studio musicians. After two seasons the network and the group could not reach agreement on the format of a third season and the show was canceled even though the ratings were still high. A feature film named Head co-written by The Monkees, Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson) followed.
Peter Tork was the first to leave the band, in 1968, during 1969 The TV show went into Saturday morning reruns and the three remaining Monkees recorded two more albums. in 1969 Nesmith departed and began a serious foray into merging country and rock music. He also eventually developed a format that became MTV. By the way his mother invented a product called Liquid Paper, sold it to the Gillette Company for $47 million dollars then died a year later leaving the money to her only son. The remaining two Monkees Dolenz and Jones recorded one last album named Changes in late 1969.
There has, however, been a resurgent interest in The Monkees' music Rhino Records has been instrumental in restoring all their albums, adding bonus tracks, and equipping them with complementary liner notes and stories.
Davy Jones died on February 29, 2012 in Indiantown, Florida.
Peter Tork died on February 21, 2019, at his home in Mansfield, Connecticut.
Michael Nesmith died on December 10, 2021, in Carmel Valley, California.
DISCOGRAPHY (from www.themonkees.net):
The Monkees (1966)
More of The Monkees (1967)
Headquarters (1967)
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. (1967)
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (1968)
Head (1968)
Instant Replay (1969)
The Monkees Present (1969)
Changes (1970)
Then & Now...The Best of the Monkees (1986)
Pool It! (1987)
Live 1967 (1987)
Justus (1996)
Good Times! (2016)
Kellogg's Jingle
The Monkees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"The Monkees...brought to you by...Kellogg's"
K-E-double L-O-double good,
Kellogg's best to you.
The lyrics to The Monkees's song Kellogg's Jingle are simple yet powerful in their messaging. The opening line of "The Monkees...brought to you by...Kellogg's" is a clear nod to the sponsorship deal between the band and the cereal company. However, the lyrics that follow hold deeper meaning beyond just advertising. The repetition of "K-E-double L-O-double good" is a clever play on the spelling of Kellogg's, but also serves to reinforce the idea that the product is not just good, but double good. The final line of "Kellogg's best to you" is even more impactful, as it implies that consuming Kellogg's products will bring out the best in the consumer. This is a powerful statement, as it not only promotes the product but also makes a bold claim about the benefits of consuming it.
Overall, the lyrics to Kellogg's Jingle are a testament to the power of advertising and the ability of well-crafted messaging to sway consumer behavior. The simplicity of the lyrics belies the complex psychology behind them and the ways in which they tap into our desires and aspirations.
Line by Line Meaning
The Monkees...brought to you by...Kellogg's
This TV show featuring the music group 'The Monkees' is sponsored by the food company Kellogg's.
K-E-double L-O-double good,
The spelling out of the name Kellogg's serves as a catchy advertising jingle to promote the brand.
Kellogg's best to you.
This line reinforces the idea that Kellogg's products are of high quality and are beneficial to the consumer's health and wellbeing.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Monkees Archives
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Regina Scruggs
I remember that Yardley Black Label spot with Mike and Davy!
Regina Scruggs
Nice to see these. Hey Davy, have a little cereal with your sugar!
sneezepal
I wonder if the Monkees got sick of Rice Crispies after having to eat so many of them for commercials?
The Monkees Archives
There's always room for rice crispies! :)