How many members of the monkees were 'real' musicians?

Question

I'm pretty sure Mike Nesmith was the only true musician of the monkees- he could sing, write songs and play guitar. Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork could all sing (Peter Tork wasn't that good), and none of them played an instrument.

So- when the Monkees went on tour, was Mike Nesmith the only member playing an instrument- and did they have a backup band?
I think Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones were actors, who just happened to be good singers. I can't figure out Peter Tork- Did he have any musical talent?


Mike Nesmith has been credited as a 'pioneer of the country rock movement'. Is that true?
He was a good singer, and had better sideburns than Elvis.

I never thought the Monkees as having any impact at all on music.

Anty Monkees fans here?

Answer 1

They were all technically musicians. They all played an instrument and had numerous hit songs as a band.

The TV show was just a marketing gimmick to boost their popularity as artists and to make money.

I would go as far to say that their music was better than their acting.



Dolenz and Jones even toured with replacements in the 70's after Nesmith and Tork left the band, so to say that they were 'just actors' isn't an accurate statement.



I understand where you are coming from in your statement, but think you are undervaluing the power of marketing and image when it comes to music. They were not talented as individuals, but together they were a marketers dream.

Nesmith, was, by far, the most talented of the bunch. He was the only one that was able to have any sort of solo success after he left the band.



Nesmith gets the mainstream reputation for being an outcast of the group because I think he finally understood the marketing and exploiting of the group (i.e. the TV show) was a little silly and undermining.

I think, however, he just wanted (and wants) to be taken seriously.

Answer 2

Peter Tork began studying piano at the age of nine, showing an aptitude for music by learning to play several different instruments, including the banjo and acoustic and bass guitars. Tork attended Windham High School in Willimantic, Connecticut, then was a member of the first graduating class at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, Connecticut. He attended Carleton College before he moved to New York City, where he became part of the folk music scene in Greenwich Village during the first half of the 1960s. While there, he befriended other up-and-coming musicians such as Stephen Stills.



Tork was a proficient musician, and though the group generally did not play their own instruments on their first two albums, he was an exception, playing what he described as "third chair guitar" on Mike Nesmith's song "Papa Gene's Blues" from their first album. He subsequently played keyboards, bass guitar, banjo, harpsichord, and other instruments on their recordings.



Micky Dolenz had a good voice and wrote songs. He also knew how to play guitar. Initially Davy Jones was going to be drummer but he was so short he didn't show up well on camera. Tork taught Mickey to drum.



I think they did very well considering they were thrown together the way they were and didn't have much time to practice together as a band before they did live shows. Yes, I like the Monkees.

Answer 3

I saw them live way back in...well, a long time ago. Nesmith is by far the best musician, followed closely by Peter who could play several string instruments. Dolenz couldn't play an instrument when he started. He got the job because of his singing but quickly learned how to keep a steady beat. Davy was picked due the "cute" factor and was also a vocalist. Both Davy and Mickey had acting experience. It was Nesmith's unique guitar playing and Dolenz's vocal's that originally sold the band. Since I had 3rd row seats at their concert I can honestly say they played their own instruments, but they didn't in the very beginning. The Monkees main contribution to music would be that they were more of a product instead of an actual band and promoted as a Beatle-like band and TV show. The music was a by-product at first but Nesmith and Peter later fought to have a chance at using their own talents.

Answer 4

Nesmith was an accomplished guitarist and song writer.He wrote several of the Monkees

hits and also penned Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Ponys hit "Different Drum"

His mother is credited with inventing White Out.

Peter Tork was also an accomplished musician who was a member of several folk groups

before the Monkees.

Mickey Dolenz the chief lead singer could get by on drums but was nothing to write

home about.Under his real name Michael "Mickey"Braddock as a child actor he starred

in the 1950s TV series Circus Boy

Davy Jones was bit actor in England with very little musical background.

David Bowie whose real name was David Jones changed his name to avoid confusion

with Davy Jones.

Before he co-founded Buffalo Springfield, Stephen Stills auditioned for one of the roles

but despite his impressive credentials he was rejected allegedly because he had bad

teeth.He recommended his good friend Peter Tork instead.

The Monkees were a fabricated made for TV band to capitilize on the British Invasion

Craze.At first they only sang on the records but after the first album they began demanding

more of a focal role and the right to play instruments.Eventually they won the battle and

became a self contained band.

For a while Monkeemania rivaled Beatlemania but was not sustainable.

Answer 5

Only Mike Nesmith.

Answer 6

Peter Tork was definitely also a musician from a young age, and played guitar, piano and other instruments on their recordings.

Answer 7

4 people were part of the band