A resounding bit of heartbreaking news reached the public today: Davy Jones, lead singer of The Monkees, has passed away at 66. In honor of the actor/singer/songwriter with the sweet voice and the boyish charm, we have decided to look back on some of our favorite memories of Davy Jones and The Monkees, all the way back to the television show that started everything.
The Monkees TV Show
Davy Jones was the ringleader of The Monkees, a band conceived in the wake of The Beatles for the purposes of their half hour sitcom of the same name, but that later saw themselves become a phenomena all their own. The intro song said it all: “We’re just trying to be friendly/Come watch us sing and play.” Watch as Davy hooked an entire nation with a series of Jim Carrey-level facial expressions and some smooth vocal stylings.
Tiger Beat Magazine
The Monkees were hardly untouched subject matter when it came to Tiger Beat Magazine. The periodical celebrated the band on over a dozen different covers, such as the one below, reflecting the incredible popularity the band reached with the youth of the era.
“I’m a Believer”
One of the most beloved songs to come from The Monkees’ years of making music is undoubtedly “I’m a Believer.” Jones and his fellow band members, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith, created this upbeat ballad celebrating the very idea of love, which has lasted as a public favorite for decades.
Head
Riffing off the successful movies of their British counterparts, The Monkees took their own stab at a feature film with 1968’s Head. The meta, psychedelic storyline featured the quartet struggling with the face that they’re stuck in a movie and mulling over free will. Adapted by Jack Nicholson from a series of recordings off the group brainstorming with the help of less-than-legal substances, Head marks a departure from the family friendly exterior of the band and a milestone in Jones’ acting and music career.
Davy Jones Visits The Brady Bunch
TV magic helped Davy Jones’ appear in the Brady Bunch episode “Getting Davy Jones,” fulfilling Marcia request to have him perform at her high school’s dance because he was just too darn nice to turn her down. The guest starring role was so iconic, the filmmakers the spoof feature adaptation in 1995 brought him back for a cameo.
“Daydream Believer”
Another of The Monkees’ most wonderful ballads: “Daydream Believer,” which is exceptionally memorable for its powerful, uplifting reprise. Just try and listen to this song without getting a little misty; it’s no easy task.
Davy Jones Visits SpongeBob Squarepants
Davy Jones Locker: the bottom of the ocean. Spongebob Squarepants‘ Davy Jones Locker: an actual locker where Davy Jones kept his dirty gym socks. The Monkees frontman made an appearance on the popular children’s show, stopping by to sing a few bars of “Daydream Believer” for the titular sponge-person’s nemesis The Dutchman and poke fun at his own idiomatic name. The scene’s great fun, and proved even in his older age, the man had a wonderful sense of humor.
