Davy Jones: The Beatles were manufactured

Let me get this straight.A member of a band MADE FOR TELEVISION has had the nerve to call the Beatles MANUFACTURED
if he wasn't english i'd have some things to say about one D Jones

Okay I love The Monkees but this is just so ridiculous. Davy comes across really badly in this article in my opinion - perhaps it wasn't his meaning and his words have been twisted but COME ON!

Actually come to think of it, he has come across as bitter before - I saw some TV interview once and he was going off about Peter Tork and how they would never tour again and then about 2 months later another reunion tour was announced.

An average live act? As manufactured as a scripted TV show? Yeah. Good one.

Originally Posted by jtal909

their whole downfall started when they thought they were serious musicians in the sense that they could be independant of the record machine.
They may have been serious artists as actors or singers but once Neil Diamond stopped writing their songs it started to unravel.
Too bad it was a cool show for it's time if only they would have left it at that.

Nesmith made a couple of country records, I've listened to Loose Salute few times and then I sold it. Mike really wanted to get rid of his Monkees stigma.

I guess I'm biased when it comes to The Monkees. I come from a personal perspective. So I take articles like this with a large grain of salt.
Peter Tork actually was the one who hated being a Monkee the most. He wanted to be an artist more along the lines of Steven Stills. He can be rather grumpy. Its hard to deal with someone who is almost always grumpy.
Davey Jones came from a musical theatre background. I don't think he feels that doing a TV Show was 'beneath him'. He doesn't mind when asked questions about being a Monkee.

Peter got tired of playing the dumb one.

You hit the nail on the head VB, it was Peter that ultimately walked away from the Monkees, just think Stephen Stills tried out for the Monkees and was turned down! Which is a good thing for the fans of CSN &Y!

Ringo Starr, Davy Jones and Lulu during the recording session for “Revolution”, 1968.


Ringo Starr and The Monkees, Pizza Hut Commercial,1995.


The character of Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) was added on Star Trek in late 1967 in response to the popularity of The Monkees' Davy Jones, and the character's hairstyle and appearance are a direct reference to this.


Not sure how many people are aware of this, but, when the Beatles debuted on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964 that Davy Jones was also on the same show appearing in the musical "Oliver" and performing an act from it.

Will Davy Jones be buried in his hometown of Manchester, England?

Peter AND Mike, by all accounts professional musicians moaned about their time in the Monkees. Nesmith is quoted as having said, "the Monkees were a band the way Dr. Kildare [popular TV show from 1961-1966] was a doctor."

When the Monkees played in the 1980s revival concerts, Mike Nesmith was always conspicuously absent.

I always liked the Monkees and they helped define the Dodge Dart Era.

I admit that I was never any Partridge Family fan, and although they, too were a TV show, I always dismissed them as not being a 'real' group. It was a shock for me as a child to see their records in stores or hear "I Think I Love You" on the radio. I never took them seriously and none of them, save for David Cassidy even played an instrument. To this day I don't think of them as anything other than a fluffy, inane TV show.

David Cassidy has written his autobiography in the early 1990s and he was very bitter about his Partridge days. His moans echoed mine - it was a fluffy show that was trite, predictable and had tired story lines. I also didn't like their songs, dismissing them as the creations of a TV machination trying to fob off a fake group at the public's expense. Cassidy was a hard rock afficionado and wanted to spread his musical wings as opposed to beating them in place by doing cheesy bubblegum. While I never cared for the 1970-1974 show, I do agree with his assessment of it.

However, the Monkees were different. Yeah, there was that marketing angle, but that is always to e expected when something catches people's collecive affection. Yeah, there was that Beatle influence going, but at least some of the Monkees actually PLAYED instruments. They had good song writers like Neil Diamond who actually wrote GOOD quality songs and the arrangements were just as good. Peter and Mike were the known musicians of the band and Mike reportedly chafed, as did David Cassidy some 5 years later over not being given musical freedom and versatility. The show, albeit light and fun, was FUNNY. It wasn't predictable in that the Partridge Family was. You had zany, madcap humor, cute guys (and not just the Monkees) and you could count on a good song.

The Monkees suck.


During one of the most amazing nights in American television history, David has to go on an on about how "he was there" he was "one of the acts".

YOU WERE THERE PERFORMING PART OF OLIVER YOU TWIT.

Originally Posted by LMW28IF

During one of the most amazing nights in American television history, David has to go on an on about how "he was there" he was "one of the acts".

YOU WERE THERE PERFORMING PART OF OLIVER YOU TWIT.

Hey had I been there, I would have gone on about it, how awesome, this teenager (whom I'll bet was a fan) got to see history made!

Originally Posted by beatlelover45223

Hey had I been there, I would have gone on about it, how awesome, this teenager (whom I'll bet was a fan) got to history made!

Of course you would... anyone would, and so did Davey. But then... would you rip the Beatles for their performance?


Thought not.

Originally Posted by Esmirelda

Davey Jones is actually a very nice, down-to-earth guy with sense of humor. I like his little dig at himself "I used to be a heartthrob. Now I'm a coronary."

This quote seems eerie now.

Originally Posted by LMW28IF

Of course you would... anyone would, and so did Davey. But then... would you rip the Beatles for their performance?


Thought not.

No, I would not have since the Monkees were supposed to be fans, maybe it the article took his quote out of context or Davy was having an "I am so envious of the Beatles" day

Not buying it, but I'm not closed minded. I'll let you try to convince me.

Which of Jones' QUOTES were taken out of context and what did he mean?

I don't see what you find so offensive, 28. George and John have both said similar things, that the Beatles were "okay." George prefered to praise Bob Dylan. When George says that, no one thinks he is Beatle bashing.

Originally Posted by instant karla

Davy Jones says that the Beatles were just as manufactured as his own band, the Monkees. Jones told delmarvanow.com that, "I think the Monkees have been viewed as a band that was manufactured, but the first manufactured band was really the Beatles. They were put by (manager) Brian Epstein in the same boots and the same suits. I was on the The Ed Sullivan Show the same night that they (made their debut on live American TV) in 1964. I was one of the acts that night (with the cast of Oliver!) and I saw what was going on... That's what show business is like."

Davy (I had read) was a very business minded person. So this is how his mind works, pragmatically to an extent. Nothing wrong there. He's just attesting to the fact that the Beatles were not following their *own* ideas. To an extent, they were manufactured by Brian. He's right in ways.

Jones says that although he only considered the Beatles to be only an average live act, what they accomplished artistically was tremendous: "I'm sure that if you had seen the Beatles at Shea Stadium, (it would've been) questionable as to what was going on and what you were hearing. You listen to them on The Ed Sullivan Show, even now, it's a bit sketchy, but you know, who cares? They went on to do wonderful stuff and we were dying to hear 'The White Album' and Rubber Soul and all the rest of the stuff that came later."

You listen to Tokyo concert and tell me the boys are pitch perfect. Davy is saying the same about Shea. The fabs could be called "sketchy" but it was part of their casual appeal. Still, they did not harmonize like the Beach Boys, or even like the Bee Gees. They were rough hewn. Davy then says he was still eager for their later material. George also prefered from Rubber Soul onward.... when they were not "cheeky chappys"...

Jones, who'll kick off a series of dates later this week at Disney World, joked that, "I used to be a heartthrob. Now I'm a coronary." He added that at 61 he's finally come to terms with his global fame: "Once you reach a celebrity status, people look at you and all of a sudden you've become better looking, more intelligent, you become taller -- all these things that you're not really."

See, Davy is very much a realist here, that's all. I appreciate his candor. He could praise the Beatles and Monkees and himself all day, because people would want to hear it, and he would not be Real. He was keeping it honest.

He went on to say, "I didn't choose to be an authority, I didn't choose to be an example. I didn't realize that was all part of it. I didn't realize my celebrity would effect my sisters, my father, my aunts, my uncles, the lads that grew up with me who were on the same soccer team."

Again, people can say... "oh look... he is acknowledging his celebrity, how inflated!" It DID affect his life this way. More power to him for speaking his true mind. No pretenses, which just make everyone part of a verbally well groomed herd.

There is nothing "offensive", merely silliness.

Of course every performer of all time has taken advice from others, managers, colleagues, etc. and incorporated it into their image, act, material, painting, writing, speech etc, etc. etc. The Monkees were arguably the most manufatured of all acts in the history of music when compared to eventual sucess. i.e. the most manufactured famous act of all time.


When he starts pointing out that The Beatles were manufactured too, it's as if a 3rd grade Religion teacher at a local Catholic School started questioning decisions made by Saints.

NOT that the Beatles were saintly in any way... but realtive to their success, and cemented place in the history of recorded music, the Beatles ARE akin to Sainthood... while a member of the Monkees is merely a Religion teacher in a single school.


The Beatles were musicians before they became the Beatles. The Monkees were not even all musicians before they became a "band" called The Monkees. Anyone giving his thoughts any creedence re: the matter of managerial influence on a band (successful or otherwise) is a fool imo.

My CHILDREN could name 500 bands they know of and STILL not name the Monkees. Many people could do the same.... They are nearly forgotten by the general public at this point.

Originally Posted by LMW28IF

The Monkees were arguably the most manufatured of all acts in the history of music when compared to eventual sucess. i.e. the most manufactured famous act of all time.

Hmmm...I'm not sure I'd agree with that. Yes, they were manufactured, put together by others for a purpose, but I'd argue that most of the 90's boy bands or todays dance-pop chick singers are just as manufactured and probably even more popular in their days.

Originally Posted by LMW28IF

They are nearly forgotten by the general public at this point.

Wow, I really must not know much about the general public then, as my Facebook feed has been full of Monkees clips, articles, etc. for the last week, posted by people from age 14 to age 55, males and females, including many musicians. Even some of my ultra music snob friends rate them very highly. Any time I've been in a band that's played one of their songs, it goes over like gangbusters...yeah, to a primarily middle-aged crowd, but we're part of the general public too.

Yes, but neither your Facebook feed or my Facebook feed is very indicative...

And Boy bands consisting of X number of vocalists, put together to SING is infinitely more of a legit act put together to make music vs two musicians and two actors. We're the Monkees entertaining? Sure. Popular? Vey much so, but les not kid ourselves about their genesis.

Originally Posted by Rellevart

Hmmm...I'm not sure I'd agree with that. Yes, they were manufactured, put together by others for a purpose, but I'd argue that most of the 90's boy bands or todays dance-pop chick singers are just as manufactured and probably even more popular in their days.

Oh, good point, Rell.