Songful Style: “Pleasant Valley Sunday”

Good Monday morning, my friends! It’s been bright and sunny but very cold here in Central Indiana. This week is supposed to see a warm up, and I’m ready for it. I just hope my plants don’t wake up only to be frozen when the temperatures will inevitably fall again. Anyway, welcome to the last Monday in February and another edition of Songful Style! Suzy and Shelbee decided to riff (see what I did there) on Style Imitating Art only with music! Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Suzy of Suzy Turner, and I make up the bloggers in this group. You can find all of us on our blogs and Instagram.  Our ensembles (pun intended) may be inspired by the lyrics of a song, the artwork of the album cover, maybe the MTV video, or even a memory the song evokes. I chose this month’s song. Last time, Suzy selected “Follow the Sun” by Xavier Rudd. Oh, and there’s a link party, too!

The band…

Believe it or not, this is not the first post I’ve written about The Monkees. You can find the original one here. The Monkees were a pop music band from the 60s and also starred in the eponymous “The Monkees” on television.  The group did not form organically.  Although they paved the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, ‘N Sync, and even the Jonas Brothers, the Monkees received lots of flak for being a “pretend” band.  Davy Jones was the archetype for the pop teen idols like David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman, and yes, even Justin Bieber.  In fact, you could even say The Monkees were the first video stars as music played such an important part in the television show.  The Monkees were one of the most successful bands of the late 60s.  They had international hits, four chart-topping albums, and three chart-topping songs (“Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer,” and “Daydream Believer”).  They had certified sales of 21 million singles and albums in the US alone.  I call that pretty successful.  I do wish I still had my Monkees’ albums.  I know I had “More of the Monkees” as well as “The Monkees.”  I know I had the 45 for “I’m a Believer” and probably several others.  

A little more…

Bob Rafaelson first approached Universal Pictures with the idea of a sitcom featuring four musicians in a band.  That initial idea was squelched quickly.  It wasn’t until Rafaelson teamed up with Bert Schneider that the show became a possibility.  You see, Schneider’s dad just happened to be Abraham Schneider, the head of Colpix Records and Screen Gems Television, both units of Columbia Pictures.  The two younger men formed Raybert Productions and, with the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night and Help! as inspirations, the two thought to pitch “The Monkees” and sold the show to Screen Gems Television on April 16, 1965.  

Still more…

Originally, the Lovin’ Spoonful were going to be the band in this new show, but that deal fell through.  Rafaelson and Schneider then looked to Davy Jones who had starred on Broadway as the Artful Dodger in Oliver.  He had even been nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1963.  Jones had already signed a contract with Screen Gems et al to appear in TV programs, to make feature films, and to record music for Schneider’s dad.  With Jones in place, an advertisement campaign in Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter began the search for the remaining band members.  Of the 437 applicants, Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork joined Jones as The Monkees.  All three had musical experience.  Dolenz was a child star and son of actor George Dolenz.  Tork was living in Greenwich Village, shared the state with Pete Seeger and was friends with Stephen Stills.  Stills informed Tork of the auditions.  Nesmith was the only one to actually see the ad in the two papers.  The ad read: 

“Madness!!  Auditions.  Folk & Roll Musicians-Singers for acting roles in new TV series.  Running parts for 4 insane boys, age 17-21.  Want spirited Ben Frank’s-types.  Have courage to work.  Must come down for Interview.” 

Even more…

Once the group was gathered, it was time to assign roles.  Jones was cast as the lead singer.  The only person who had experience on the drums was Jones, but the people in charge thought he was too short to be seen over the drums and other members.  They wanted him front and center.  Tork played the guitar; Nesmith played the bass.  Now, wouldn’t you think they’d cast them that way?  Nope!  On the show, Nesmith played guitar while Tork played the bass.  Because Tork played several instruments, he was able to give Dolenz a few lessons and/or pointers on how to play the drums well enough to get by for the pilot.  Eventually, he received lessons and became more skilled.  Nesmith had opinions…oh, yes, he did!  In his opinion, Jones did well enough as lead, but the true voice of The Monkees was Dolenz.  So, while all of the cast members had musical talents, they were relegated to lead vocals with occasional compositions.  Initially, music was provided by professional songwriters and studio musicians.  In fact, most of the hit albums and singles were the results of this combination of actors and professionals. 

And, still more…

Eventually, the quartet revolted against this arrangement and began to write and sing their own compositions.  From what I can gather, music from the group was released prior to the actual airing of the television show.  The show premiered on September 12, 1966 and ran for two seasons.  I didn’t get the feeling, in my research, that deep relationships were formed between the four men which led to all of them pursuing their own interests.  The Monkees continued to produce albums for many years, but their final recording session was in 1970 after which they broke up.  It didn’t help that many outsiders continued to feel none of them were true musicians.  This is rather ironic because the primary purpose (according to the business execs) was to make money, not from the TV show, but from the distribution of The Monkees’ records. 

A bit more…

Even though the show was a hit, Nesmith was unhappy and was quoted in the Saturday Evening Post on January 28, 1967, saying “Do you know how debilitating it is to sit up and have to duplicate somebody else’s records?  Tell the world we don’t record our own music.”  Ah, that Nesmith…I liked his character…but he was a pot stirrer, that’s for sure!  Just 12 days earlier, the group had their first recording session as a band.  At this point, I have to admit I’m completely confused and don’t know if the four Monkees sang on the first two albums or not!  Some of the writers producing songs for the band were Neil Diamond, Carole King, David Gates, Tommy Boyce, and Bobby Hart. 

Finally…

I could write and write and write, but the gist of the story of The Monkees is four guys who made it big by lip syncing and pretending to play instruments while they knew they could actually do the job.  Over time, the four agreed to disagree with their management and called it quits as television stars two short years after being “discovered.”  Trust me, there was no one more disappointed than I was when I heard the show had been cancelled.  I didn’t, of course, know why.  Over the years, several reunions occurred with different members appearing. The group even had a resurgence of popularity when MTV ran some of the old shows.  One by one, the group grew smaller as members passed.  Davy Jones was the first to die of heart failure on February 29^th, 2012. Peter Tork passed on February 21, 2019 of cancer.  Michael Nesmith passed on December 10, 2021 of heart failure.  Mickey Dolenz toured and appeared on TV until 2017.  As you can probably tell, I was a huge Monkees fan.  I think it was sad their talent was underappreciated, and they couldn’t work out their differences with management.  I think they could have been even bigger stars than they were. If you’d like to read more, here is so much more information about all the breakups, reunions, records, etc.

The song…

What it means…

Sometimes, a song is just what is says. That’s not exactly the case with “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” Carole King and her husband (and co-writer), Gerry Goffin, had just moved from New York City to a suburb in New Jersey. Apparently, Goffin wasn’t too impressed with suburbia. He saw it as conforming to societal norms as well as just plain boring. The song doesn’t come right out and say it, but it’s pretty much all about “keeping up with the Joneses.”

The video

This is a clip from the television show. As you can see, music was very important to the premise of the show. You’ll also notice the lack of microphones so I’m wondering if they were lip syncing because their mouths and the words don’t match. That could also be production, but it does make you wonder. I am not sure if they are all singing or even playing, but that does sound like Micky’s voice.

Interesting covers…

This is a rock and roll version…and, dare I say it…may be better than The Monkees! I love the vintage movies showing in the background. And, if you watch, you’ll catch snips of 60s era sitcoms! See how many you can find!

The incomparable Carole King also co-wrote the song (along with Gerry Goffin).

This is a first for the blog…a tribute band! The MonkeeMen do a decent job though Peter looks a little off!

I like this version with women singing the song and backed by guys. The vocals are a little thready, but I’m not sure where they were recording. That could affect the sound.

A punk rock version that just may be the perfect embodiment of the lyrics.

This appears to have been done during the Covid lockdown. I think it’s a nice version, just a little tame and lacking any feeling. But, what do I know?

Leo, Leo! Again, no “Pleasant Valley Sunday” from my favorite Norwegian heavy metal rocker! Man, I need a little of that jarring sound!

My interpretation…

A few weeks ago, the absolutely stunning Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks asked me if I’d be interested in some pieces from Kantha Bae. I very quickly said yes and was shocked when the box of goodies arrived. This dress was included in the box. I don’t know the name of the dress, and it doesn’t appear on the Kantha Bae site. That isn’t unusual as they are constantly changing stock and styles. Anyway, I was going more with The Monkees’ vibe and boho feel as I remember them and also drawing inspiration from Davy’s jacket in the video. When I think of The Monkees, I always think of bright colors like yellow and hot pink. This dress was perfect for that with the addition of something underneath as the neckline is really deep! I also love the elastic waist and cuffs. It’s got that perfect swish factor and all the beautiful colors! A huge thanks to my friend, Daenel!

The Lewk!

Nothing says boho like kantha wrapped beads, and you find the very best kantha jewelry at World Finds. I bought the necklace with all the rings (Kantha Spherical necklace) months ago, but I never could find the right way to style it. This dress was perfect. Then, I added the Kantha Bead Long Necklace. I grabbed several different bracelets, including the Milieu Overlap Bracelet, Milieu Split Bracelet, and other stretch bracelets. I finished with these fun Milieu Filled Teardrop Earrings. I don’t have any white boots and don’t anticipate ever buying any. It’s a thing for me…you won’t change my mind. But, I thought these green Waterlily boots by L’Artiste would be similar to something Davy might have worn. I didn’t link to them because they don’t have this color anymore.

Wrap it up, Marsha!

I adored The Monkees! I was in love with each and every one of them at some point in time. I’m pretty sure the show was on Monday nights, but my parents didn’t like it. Luckily, my Grandma Rose had given us a color tv so we could watch it in our room. This show was so much a part of my young adolescent life even though it only aired for two years. I can’t tell you why it resonated so deeply with me. So, can we talk? How does this song and its lyrics affect you? Were you ever a fan of The Monkees? Which one was your favorite? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.

Thank you!

Thank you so very much for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed it. I also very much appreciate those of you who comment, email and/or subscribe. It’s what keeps me going! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

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Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style,  Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!

And, now, it’s your turn!

Please link up your favorite posts, DIY, baking, gardening, fashion…you name it…as long as it’s family friendly! Link up with me, visit a couple of others, and leave a comment or two! No worries if you don’t have a blog, just look around! You may find a new blog just waiting for you!

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