September 1965, auditions were held for an American TV
comedy about a rock group called the Monkees. 437 young men
went to Hollywood, California to try out for the roles, but
only four were selected for the series. One year later, the
show premiered on NBC, preceded by the release of their
first single, "Last Train to Clarksville", an immediate
Number One hit.
Within this made-for-TV band, Michael Nesmith and Peter
"Tork" Thorkelson were musicians, and Micky Dolenz and Davy
Jones were TV actors who also had some musical experience.
Despite their ability to play (as displayed in their 1966
and 1967 concert tours), outside musicians were hired to
provide nearly all of the backing music for their first
year's worth of material, leaving the Monkees themselves to |