I'm a first-generation Monkees fan. I was six years old when their weekly TV series debuted in the fall of 1966, and I'm pretty sure I started watching it (at my sister's urging) not long after the show's first episode. I saw Micky, Davy, Peter, and Michael sing and play on our black and white TV set, I heard those great Monkees singles on the radio, and I listened to the first two Monkees LPs on the family record player. As the '60s became the '70s, I became an even bigger Monkees fan via Saturday morning reruns and subsequent syndication, and eventually began diligently and obsessively accumulating the many Monkees records I didn't have. I related that story here, here, here, and here. To quote Radio Deer Camp's beloved host Rich Firestorm: The Monkees have been good to me.
Looking back, I'm not sure when I first became aware of the names Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. I must have seen them cavorting with Jeannie on I Dream Of Jeannie and Samantha (and Sabrina) on Bewitched (and I, for one, would have been deeply jealous of said cavorting), but I only recall those episodes from reruns, not their network airings. By that time, in the mid '70s, I already knew who Boyce and Hart were.
Who were Boyce and Hart? They were the guys who wrote 'em, crafting pop songs for the guys 'n' gals who sang 'em, from the Shangri-Las to Chubby Checker.
And Boyce and Hart wrote a bunch of great songs that were recorded by the Monkees, including "(Theme From) The Monkees," "Last Train To Clarksville," "Let's Dance On," "I Wanna Be Free," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "She," "Mr. Webster," "I'll Spend My Life With You," "Words," "Valleri," "Through The Looking Glass," and my not-a-guilty-pleasure "I Never Thought It Peculiar." In the late '70s, once and future Monkees Micky and Davy joined forces with Tommy and Bobby--the guys who sang 'em and the guys who wrote 'em--as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart. MonkeeMen, AWAY!
By whatever means and in whatever time frame, my '70s teen immersion in all things Monkee introduced me to Boyce and Hart. I eventually learned a little bit about their career as a performing duo--the guys who sang and wrote 'em--and that act's lone big hit single "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" became one of my all-time favorite tracks.
Tommy Boyce died in 1994. The recent passing of Bobby Hart demands this moment to pay tribute to their work, both as Featured Performers and Featured Songwriters. We have Boyce and Hart songs performed by the Flashcubes, the Four Tops, the Downbeat 5, Jay and the Americans, the Skeletons, the Morells, Anne Richmond Boston, Redd Kross, the Rubinoos, and Al Hirt, plus a song apiece written by Tommy or Bobby outside of the partnership (performed by Paul Revere and the Raiders and Linda Ronstadt, respectively). We play the Monkees. We play Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart. As always: Here's to the guys and gals who sang 'em. And we raise an extra glass on behalf of the guys who wrote 'em. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another Sunday night in Syracuse this week.
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream, and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO.
You can read all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). You can follow Carl's daily blog at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do).
TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.
Carl's latest book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get Carl's previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.
THE FLASHCUBES: She (Northside, Flashcubes Forever)
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS: The Laws Have Changed (Matador, Electric Version)
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THE TOP SIX: I'm A Man (Edsel, VA: Eddie Piller Presents British Mod Sounds Of The 1960s)
THE FOUNDATIONS: I'm Gonna Be A Rich Man (Cherry Red, VA: I Love To See You Strut--More 60s Mod, R & B, Brit Soul & Freakbeat Nuggets)
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ANNE RICHMOND BOSTON: Mr. Webster (Long Play, VA: Here No Evil--A Tribute To The Monkees)
THE MnM'S: I'm Tired (Burger, Melts In Your Ears 1980-1981)
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