Hey, hey ... the Monkees turn 50!
Hey, hey ... the Monkees turn 50!
The Monkees are big on anniversaries, and this year is the made-for-TV band’s 50th.
The group’s heyday lasted a mere two years, but reruns, re-issues and reunions have kept them going since their NBC show premiered in 1966 — and to mark the occasion, there’s a box set featuring all 58 episodes.
The surviving members — Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork (Davy Jones died in 2012) — have also released a new album, “Good Times,” featuring songs written by the likes of Ben Gibbard, Noel Gallagher and Rivers Cuomo.
Dolenz, 70, who spoke to us from his office in Los Angeles, is on tour with Tork.
Are you glad you agreed to this whole thing?
What whole thing?
The Monkees?
Are you kidding?
The equivalent to this happening — for us to have a Top 20 record with “Good Times” — would be like Al Jolson or Enrique Caruso having a Top 20 album in 1966 when the Monkees first came out.
How do you think I feel?
Is he still not at peace with being a Monkee?
With just two of you out there, how do you manage to capture the spirit of the Monkees?
At the beginning of this tour, Peter and I asked the same question: “How do we do a Monkees show without Davy and Mike?” It turns out it’s just working well.
Are you surprised something you did 50 years ago still resonates?
On the television show, the Monkees never made it.
Aidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicle’s pop music critic.