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Are You A Believer? The Monkees 45th Anniversary Tour
By Jessie De La O/Special to LAist
Here we come…again! The made-for-television Pop group The Monkees, who the media once dubbed as the “Pre-Fab Four,” will be going on tour…this time to commemorate their 45th anniversary in show business!
The Monkees television show, starring Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork, ran on NBC from 1966 to 1968. The group’s funny antics incorporated with catchy Pop music provided a great recipe for the situation comedy.
Although Dolenz, Jones, Nesmith and Tork were hired as actors to portray a rock ‘n’roll group, they actually became a group. They had several Top 10 hit singles—including “I’m a Believer,” “Last Train to Clarksville” and “Daydream Believer”—and eventually went on tour to promote the show and music.
Legendary music publisher and television producer Don Kirshner was hired to supervise the music for The Monkees television show. Kirshner was soon fired after the band sought more creative control in playing their own instruments on their albums.
The last time all four members performed together was in 1997, when they toured the U.K. As the tour headed to the U.S., Nesmith left, leaving the group to perform as a trio. Then in 2001, Jones & Dolenz toured together as The Monkees after having “fired” Tork.
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Unfortunately, Michael Nesmith (who inherited the fortunate of his mother, who invented Liquid Paper) will not be taking part in the tour. However, it is rumored that he may perform with the group for a few dates in the U.K.
The Monkees will embark on a tour of the U.K. in May and will start the U.S. leg of the tour beginning June 3. They are scheduled to perform five shows in California: July 10 at Mountain Winery in Saratoga, July 13 at the Majestic Fox Theater in Bakersfield, July 14 at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, July 15 at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon and July 16 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.
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