Chapter 20: American Responses to the British Invasion
Although the Monkees were originally cast as four actors hired to portray a Beatles-style band on a television show, they gradually evolved into a legitimate musical group. Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork were already skilled musicians and songwriters, but early on, they were largely excluded from the recording process. They grew frustrated that studio professionals handled most of the instrumentation while songwriters like Neil Diamond, Carole King, and Boyce and Hart provided hit material. Disillusioned by their lack of creative input, the Monkees began pushing for full artistic control, determined to become a self-sustaining band rather than a manufactured product.
That transformation began in earnest in 1967—just four months after the show’s premiere—when they held their first independent session at RCA Studios. There, they recorded Nesmith’s “The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” which became a Top 40 hit. They also released “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” a Neil Diamond-penned track that saw modest success. That same year, they recorded their third album, Headquarters, largely without studio musicians. With this project, the Monkees proved they could play as a cohesive unit, blending elements of folk, rock, and country. Songs like “You Told Me,” which features the banjo, showcased the band’s expanding musical range and newfound autonomy.
As the Monkees took control of their recordings, they also hit the road as a live act—briefly touring with the Jimi Hendrix Experience as an unlikely opening act. In later episodes of the show, the band increasingly performed their own music, with only minimal assistance from session players. “Daydream Believer,” released in 1967, showcases this later phase: although written by John Stewart, it was arranged by Tork (who also played piano), with Nesmith on guitar, Jones on lead vocals, and Dolenz on backing vocals. In achieving full musical autonomy, the Monkees pulled off a rare feat—they became the very type of band they were originally hired to impersonate.
Despite their manufactured origins and lighthearted TV persona, the Monkees created a body of work that was musically adventurous and surprisingly diverse, spanning pop rock, psychedelia, and country-inflected tunes. Their first four albums all reached number one on the Billboard charts, selling between 2 and 5 million copies each, while their fifth album—released just after the show's cancellation in 1968—sold over a million.
The Monkees’ television series aired for just two seasons (58 episodes), but it made a lasting impact. Fast-paced editing, surreal humor, and a sense of youthful camaraderie made it resonate with the teen audience of the late 1960s. Each episode featured musical performances, helping turn the Monkees into a multimedia sensation. Merchandise—from dolls to lunchboxes—flooded the market, and their songs dominated the charts. In achieving full musical autonomy, the Monkees had pulled off a rare feat—they had become the very band they were originally hired to pretend to be, transforming their fictional roles into a real-world rock act.