A Thought about the Pre-Fab Four

A post from a *Monkees* fan-site on "*Psycho-Jello*":http://psycho-jello.com/Monkees, about the way the Monkees were perceived, and their continuing popularity years after many bands who slagged them off are gone and forgotten:

The Monkees were dismissed and hated by rock critics and wannabe musicians because they seemed to get fame the easy way, without struggle. Their weekly television show was instrumental in getting their records heard to all of America, bypassing the usual road to stardom (paying the right people in the radio industry to play your records).

The article continues:

They even found themselves becoming friends with *The Beatles*, the band that everyone wanted acceptance from. *John Lennon*, when asked by Mike, compared their show to the Marx Brothers. *George Harrison* invited Peter to play on his Wonderwall soundtrack and said things like, "The Monkees are still finding out who they are and they seem to be improving as performers each time I see them. When they've got it all sorted out, they may be the greatest." *John* Lennon remarked, "They've got their own scene and I won't send them down for it. You try a weekly television show and see if you can manage one half as good!" Once in England, Micky got an invitation to visit *Paul McCartney*'s house and go to a Beatles record session, John Lennon invited Mike and his wife Phyllis to stay at his place in Weybridge the week that they visited. And on their second trip to England, the Beatles threw the Monkees a private party.

From what i've read elsewhere, this is the genesis of the Monkees song *Randy Scouse Git* (which the BBC refused to play unless it had an alternate title, so it was given one - *Alternate Title*), with its lines about been a long time since the party and the room is in a mess and the four kings of emi are sitting staely on the floor.

So were the Monkees only liked by "dopey nine year olds", as the [other bands] assess? Not unless you consider the likes of Buddy Miles, Stephen Stills, and The Beatles 'dopey nine year olds'.(Remember - Stills was turned down for a part and went and told his roommate, Peter Thorkelson, to try out...)
You can "*read the whole piece here*":http://www.psycho-jello.com/monkees/bastards1.html (and another piece that leads into it about "*Paul Revere and the Raiders*":http://www.psycho-jello.com/monkees/bastards.html), or "*browse the Monkees section on Psycho-Jello*":http://psycho-jello.com/monkees or even the whole "*Psycho-Jello* "*Pop-Culture Blog*":http://psycho-jello.com".