Peter Tork Talks About The Monkees' 2014 Tour and Reuniting with Old Friends
Dr. Nancy Berk
http://parade.condenast.com/
May 14, 2014
When Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and the late Davy Jones were cast as four struggling band members in the quirky sitcom The Monkees (1966-1968), few people expected they would still be rocking over four decades later. While all have enjoyed successful solo careers, this month, Tork, Dolenz, and Nesmith are hitting the road together, embracing their pop culture legacy, and giving fans a highly anticipated and much loved dose of The Monkees. In an exclusive for Parade.com, Peter Tork recently shared with me his thoughts on the The Monkees’ 2014 tour, the fans, and reuniting with his former bandmates.
As the Monkees’ 2014 tour kicks off, what are you most looking forward to?
The usual: adoring fans, listening to those other two sing (Dolenz and Nesmith), getting to play in front of… did I mention adoring fans? Enjoying the scenery on the road, not having to schlep my own gear… like that.
What is your favorite song that you’ll be performing?
I expect it’ll be “Shades of Gray” this time, because I like the song a lot and it’ll be an addition to the set list this time out. My favorite Monkees hit has always been “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and my favorite Monkees music overall has always been “Riu Chiu.”
Unlike your first round of concerts with screaming teens, you now have an adoring multigenerational fan base. Those original teens have grown up and introduced the Monkees to their kids and grandkids—who have also embraced you. What is that like?
It’s extraordinarily gratifying. One of the things about the Monkees TV show was that, since there were no senior adult figures, the kids were able to imagine getting along in life with just their peers to help and be helped by. I believe it was an important message for the times, and remains so to this day.
I know these tours must be marked by reflection and sadness given the passing of your dear friend Davy Jones. Is there a special part of the concert that makes you feel especially connected to Davy?
Just about the first thing I did when I heard that David had passed was to play “Daydream Believer” on the piano, but we don’t sing that song anymore; how could we? We have someone from the audience come up to sing it for us. That’s our remembrance.
Decades have passed since your first tour and you’ve all traveled separate paths--raising families and building successful careers beyond the Monkees. Does that make the reunion tour almost like a personal reunion for you and your bandmates?
Yes, it does. It was a total treat the first time I listened to Michael sing the songs he sang back when in the same voice he had, and Micky remains one of the best pop singers of all time, and it does take me back to the times we had together--pleasant memories indeed!
http://parade.condenast.com/
May 14, 2014
When Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and the late Davy Jones were cast as four struggling band members in the quirky sitcom The Monkees (1966-1968), few people expected they would still be rocking over four decades later. While all have enjoyed successful solo careers, this month, Tork, Dolenz, and Nesmith are hitting the road together, embracing their pop culture legacy, and giving fans a highly anticipated and much loved dose of The Monkees. In an exclusive for Parade.com, Peter Tork recently shared with me his thoughts on the The Monkees’ 2014 tour, the fans, and reuniting with his former bandmates.
As the Monkees’ 2014 tour kicks off, what are you most looking forward to?
The usual: adoring fans, listening to those other two sing (Dolenz and Nesmith), getting to play in front of… did I mention adoring fans? Enjoying the scenery on the road, not having to schlep my own gear… like that.
What is your favorite song that you’ll be performing?
I expect it’ll be “Shades of Gray” this time, because I like the song a lot and it’ll be an addition to the set list this time out. My favorite Monkees hit has always been “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and my favorite Monkees music overall has always been “Riu Chiu.”
Unlike your first round of concerts with screaming teens, you now have an adoring multigenerational fan base. Those original teens have grown up and introduced the Monkees to their kids and grandkids—who have also embraced you. What is that like?
It’s extraordinarily gratifying. One of the things about the Monkees TV show was that, since there were no senior adult figures, the kids were able to imagine getting along in life with just their peers to help and be helped by. I believe it was an important message for the times, and remains so to this day.
I know these tours must be marked by reflection and sadness given the passing of your dear friend Davy Jones. Is there a special part of the concert that makes you feel especially connected to Davy?
Just about the first thing I did when I heard that David had passed was to play “Daydream Believer” on the piano, but we don’t sing that song anymore; how could we? We have someone from the audience come up to sing it for us. That’s our remembrance.
Decades have passed since your first tour and you’ve all traveled separate paths--raising families and building successful careers beyond the Monkees. Does that make the reunion tour almost like a personal reunion for you and your bandmates?
Yes, it does. It was a total treat the first time I listened to Michael sing the songs he sang back when in the same voice he had, and Micky remains one of the best pop singers of all time, and it does take me back to the times we had together--pleasant memories indeed!
