Remembering Michael Nesmith of The Monkees

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I received a message from my classic rock music RSS feed that there was a death of a "beloved" musician. I am growing to dread this; too many of my favourites have gone recently. I panic when I see a name in my feed. Anyway, I checked it out and was faced with the news that Michael Nesmith was dead.

[CENTER]Michael Nesmith. Born December 30, 1942. Died December 10, 2021.

David Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith (Entertainment International, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)[/CENTER]

The cause of death has been given as "heart failure".

For those of the generation before mine (and mine to an extent – thanks to TV re-runs), Nesmith was a member of the pop-rock group The Monkees, renowned as "the one in the fuzzy hat". Hey, at least it was something. He was also the son of the woman who invented Liquid Paper, and he inherited the company and a fortune when she passed away in the 1980s.

The Monkees were trailblazers, though possibly not in a way they enjoyed. They were the first of the manufactured-for-television bands. Selected for their look more than anything else – though they could sing – and at the start of their career, they were merely faces, despite having some ability. But, to their credit, they worked incredibly hard until they left the confines of TV – a "mutiny" spurred by Nesmith – and struck out on their own and proved that, yes, they could actually play music, and they were a real band, not merely a corporate entity.

But The Monkees, despite their some would say dubious beginning, released many great tracks. Michael Nesmith was at the core of the band. And so, to remember Michael Nesmith, I thought I would look at some Monkees songs, my favourite of his solo songs and a song he wrote that became a mammoth hit for someone else.

'I'm A Believer' by The Monkees (1966)

Written by Neil Diamond (yes, that Neil Diamond), this is probably the best known of The Monkees hits, thanks to countless cover versions, most notably by Smash Mouth and Weezer for a couple of Shrek films. Despite that, it still stands as a fine song in its own right and is probably the song most associated with the band.
'Last Train To Clarkesville' by The Monkees (1966)

A really cool song about trains that became one of the many songs by The Monkees that have come to be regarded as classic tracks. The jangly guitars and nice vocal harmonies make this a really strong track.
'Different Drum' by The Stone Poneys (1967)

No, not by Michael Nesmith. He wrote it, it was recorded by a bluegrass band, the producers of The Monkees (the TV show) rejected it (which was a part of what led to the eventual mutiny), and then Linda Ronstadt's band released a version which went gang-busters. Nesmith was a fine songwriter, which is often overlooked.
'Daydream Believer' by The Monkees (1967)

They had a thing for believers, huh? This is such a great song, with that quiet verse and sing-along style chorus that just gets everyone involved. So simple and yet so wonderfully done. Little more to say here, really.
'Pleasant Valley Sunday' by The Monkees (1967)

A song that has come up before , this is a track where Nesmith insisted on playing guitar (according to a couple of books I have read). Often he wasn't allowed to but by this time in the career of the band, he was pushing things a little more and that is indeed his rather fine guitar playing on this song which has some very strong lyrics.
'A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You' by The Monkees (1967)

Another Neil Diamond-penned track, this one is based on a strong riff by Nesmith on guitar. Another song that is just a great piece of pop rock from the 1960s. I use the term pop-rock because even though they were considered 'pop' music artists at the time, they are more 'rock' than many alleged rock bands today. And this is a song that would stand today, I reckon.
'Porpoise Song' by The Monkees (1968)

In 1968 The Monkees released a film called Head which pretty much killed their family-friendly credentials until the nostalgia circuit came calling years later. It was weird. It was also where all members of the band played their own instruments and wrote much of their own music. Still, I really enjoy this song.
'Listen To The Band' by The Monkees (1969)

Not only is this a really good song by The Monkees, but it also marks the first time Michael Nesmith sang lead vocals on an official single release by the band, and, more than that, he wrote the song as well. This is a more mature sounding Monkees, and is one of my favourite Monkees songs.
'Joanne' by Michael Nesmith & The First National Band (1970)

Thanks to my father, I had this song on 45, and until I was in my 20s I never put it together that this singer was a member of that goofy band I was watching on television re-runs. I reckon this would have been the very first song associated with the Monkees I ever heard. It is a nice, relaxing song, and one that I could imagine TMG singing as well.
'Rio' by Michael Nesmith (1977)

I admit, the only reason I knew this song was because of the video clip. Like David Bowie's weird clips, it was one of the early ones that stood out to me, and so, because of that, I think that's why I have a soft spot for this track. Pleasant and gentle, and quite good.
I feel like I am writing more and more of these memorial columns to celebrate artists we have lost as the years have gone on. Yes, I do understand that age is catching up on these people and there is a bit of a global health crisis going on, but that does not make it any easier.

I will say this, though – at least we have music (in this case) to remember these people at their very best. When I heard the news I put the two Monkees CDs I own on and just found myself singing along. Even looking through for other songs by Nesmith I was transported back. Michael Nesmith was involved in some very fine music.

For me, he lives on.

RIP, Michael Nesmith. And all the best to his friends and family.
via GIPHY

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