A little morning music.

Quote from: spazaru on May 21, 2016, 07:51:30 AM
I agree with that.  I guess I just think of bubblegum as bands that were studio musicians that didn't really play live or have personnel that everyone would recognize.   The Monkees just seemed out of place in this list.  But the way you explain it, it makes sense.

We must acknowledge that there are really TWO groups of "The Monkees". Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Mike Nesmith were four out of 437 young, photogenic, musical hopefuls who auditioned for parts in a television series about a fictional band named "The Monkees" that was produced by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider. During the active production of the series, they never played instruments on, or wrote any of the songs that actually appeared on the show's soundtrack (and the initial record releases of those songs). That task was given over to record producer Don Kirshner to handle, and he assembled a team of key studio musicians and his trusted team of songwriters, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. So it IS true that The Monkees that people saw on television were merely aspiring musicians working as actors. The REAL "Monkees" who made the music for television were unseen and unknown to the general public. The "actor Monkees" (meaning Jones, Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith) had no experience together as a band or as songwriters, and the demands of television production to produce pre-packaged songtracks on a regular weekly basis precluded the producers trusting them with this important musical aspect of the show. Later, as they were allowed to tour together and promote the show, they did gain experience together as an actual band, and were eventually allowed to contribute their own original songs to later album releases, beyond just playing the "sure fire winners" penned by Boyce and Hart.

Speaking of bubblegum music, last night I was listening to some songs from 1910 Fruitgum Company. Talk about bubble gum music! But the songs are great, and super catchy.

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on May 21, 2016, 10:01:52 AM

Quote from: spazaru on May 21, 2016, 07:51:30 AM
I agree with that.  I guess I just think of bubblegum as bands that were studio musicians that didn't really play live or have personnel that everyone would recognize.   The Monkees just seemed out of place in this list.  But the way you explain it, it makes sense.

We must acknowledge that there are really TWO groups of "The Monkees". Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Mike Nesmith were four out of 437 young, photogenic, musical hopefuls who auditioned for parts in a television series about a fictional band named "The Monkees" that was produced by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider. During the active production of the series, they never played instruments on, or wrote any of the songs that actually appeared on the show's soundtrack (and the initial record releases of those songs). That task was given over to record producer Don Kirshner to handle, and he assembled a team of key studio musicians and his trusted team of songwriters, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. So it IS true that The Monkees that people saw on television were merely aspiring musicians working as actors. The REAL "Monkees" who made the music for television were unseen and unknown to the general public. The "actor Monkees" (meaning Jones, Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith) had no experience together as a band or as songwriters, and the demands of television production to produce pre-packaged songtracks on a regular weekly basis precluded the producers trusting them with this important musical aspect of the show. Later, as they were allowed to tour together and promote the show, they did gain experience together as an actual band, and were eventually allowed to contribute their own original songs to later album releases, beyond just playing the "sure fire winners" penned by Boyce and Hart.

Not completely true.  Nesmith had written songs, including "Different Drum" that was a hit for Linda Ronstadt.  Also, even the first two Monkees albums had some original songs.  Nesmith wrote Papa Gene's Blues for the first and Mary Mary and The Kind of Girl I Could Love for the second.  In general, though, I get your point.  Throughout their career, some of my very favorite Monkees songs were originals, mostly by Nesmith but even Micky wrote a couple of good ones and so did Peter. 

Quote from: spazaru on May 21, 2016, 07:51:30 AM
I agree with that.  I guess I just think of bubblegum as bands that were studio musicians that didn't really play live or have personnel that everyone would recognize.   The Monkees just seemed out of place in this list.  But the way you explain it, it makes sense.

The number that had "names that you'd recognize" is far more extensive than most people realize 
Often the studio musicians  were future superstars who hadn't hit the big time yet (and this was part of their path to recognition) or even mid-level talent who moonlighting, with song from major players who wrote for the studios behind the scenes for years before going solo and producing their own material ...

Quote from: spazaru on May 21, 2016, 11:53:16 AM
Nesmith had written songs, including "Different Drum" that was a hit for Linda Ronstadt.  Also, even the first two Monkees albums had some original songs.  Nesmith wrote Papa Gene's Blues for the first and Mary Mary and The Kind of Girl I Could Love for the second.  In general, though, I get your point.  Throughout their career, some of my very favorite Monkees songs were originals, mostly by Nesmith but even Micky wrote a couple of good ones and so did Peter.

Nesmith's Elephant Parts conceptual music film was a big favorite of mine. In particular "Lucy & Ramona & Sunset Sam" (which received heavy rotation on the early MTV) and the lesser-known self-parody music video "Rodan" (satirizing his own song "Rosanne").

Quote from: invisifan on May 21, 2016, 12:18:33 PM

Quote from: spazaru on May 21, 2016, 07:51:30 AM
I agree with that.  I guess I just think of bubblegum as bands that were studio musicians that didn't really play live or have personnel that everyone would recognize.   The Monkees just seemed out of place in this list.  But the way you explain it, it makes sense.

The number that had "names that you'd recognize" is far more extensive than most people realize 
Often the studio musicians  were future superstars who hadn't hit the big time yet (and this was part of their path to recognition) or even mid-level talent who moonlighting, with song from major players who wrote for the studios behind the scenes for years before going solo and producing their own material ...

Well, he did say "have personnel that everyone would recognize" (if they saw them). In the context of nobody knew who did the songs THEN. They still mostly don't NOW. But in retrospect, people would recognize the NAMES after the passage of time has made them famous... followed immediately by "HE did that? I never even knew...!" Point to spazaru.

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on May 21, 2016, 06:47:34 AM
From my own MP3 album collection (mostly found and downloaded from blogs here'n'there), for the last couple of days/nights I've been listening to my own self-defined genre of "Saturday Morning Bubblegum Rock" that includes albums by:

Alvin and the Chipmunks
The Archies
The Banana Splits
The Groovie Goolies
The Hardy Boys
The Impossibles
Josie and the Pussycats
Lancelot Link and the Evolution Revolution
The Monkees
The Partridge Family
The Sugar Bears

My favorite Partridge Family/David Cassidy songs are "Brand New Me" and "Summer Days."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um7H4MG3lEE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRuBYSGniE

I'm listening to the radio. The station is 970 The Answer.

I'm listening to 970 The Answer. At 4:00 am Frank Morano is on the same station.

Rosanna-Toto

Born To Be Wild- Steppenwolf

I recently picked up and have been listening to the soundtrack for Hamilton (a little late to the party).

Suite: Judy Blue Eyes- Crosby, Stills, & Nash