Saddened to hear the news that Peter Tork of the Monkees has died. Since starting this project, where I journey back in time reminiscing about the music of my youth, it has become apparent that it all started for me at around the age of six, which in my case was 1966. Coincidentally that was when the Monkees first made an appearance on our black and white television screens, and although I was aware of other artists who popped up on the prime time slots watched by my mum and dad, the Monkees belonged to me.
I am sorry Peter, but the Monkee I was most infatuated with at age six, was Davy Jones, and one of the first posts I published on this blog was about him (link here). But you Peter, were the Howard Donald of the Monkees. You weren’t the cutest or the zaniest; you had a bowl haircut, didn’t wear a hat and were the oldest of the group; but like Howard of Take That fame, in time you became my favourite Monkee.
Despite being an accomplished Greenwich Village folk musician when you got the role in the sitcom that would change your life, at the start you weren’t even allowed to play your own instruments. That would change with time however, and you became the man in charge of keyboards and bass. You didn’t get the role of star vocalist very often, but here is a lovely song where you did share lead vocals with Davy Jones. Shades of Gray (American spelling of grey) is also very apt for this post, as it starts off with the lines:
When the world and I were young
Just yesterday
Life was such a simple game
A child could play, (yes, that would have been 1966 for me)
and ends with the verse:
But today there is no day or night
Today there is no dark or light
Today there is no black or white
Only shades of gray, (oh yes, as our politicians can testify, how complicated life has become in 2019)
Shades of Gray was another of those great ’60s songs written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. It was recorded by The Monkees for their 1967 album “Headquarters” and was the first song on which the group played all their own instruments.
But here is another great song from that era, the clip this time in colour, where the boys are wearing those iconic dark red shirts with the silver buttons. Of course back in 1966 we wouldn’t have known their shirts were red, would we, because we watched telly in black and white? But here is where I beg to differ. Our local football team, Aberdeen FC played in red, and whenever their matches were aired on television, the grey of their shirts matched the grey of the Monkees shirts. At age six I was obviously pretty good at working out what the colours should be, based on the shades of grey of the various team shirts. Living in a football loving household meant you developed all sorts of useful skills of a televisual nature.
Last Train To Clarksville by the Monkees:
Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart wrote Last Train To Clarksville as a protest to the Vietnam War but had to keep that quiet in order to get it recorded. It is about a guy who gets drafted, and the train is taking him to the army base. He knows he may die in Vietnam, and at the end of the song he states, “I don’t know if I’m ever coming home.”
Peter Tork was one of the many artists of my youth to have been born in 1942, right in the middle of a World War, but yet a vintage year for the birth of future musical legends (what was that all about?). Unlike in 2016, when I started this blog, I haven’t actually written any tributes so far this year. Cross fingers there won’t be too many more, but considering the span of time I write about here, I suspect there will be. A great chance to revisit the music though, and I have a feeling that a lot of people who had all but forgotten about the Monkees, might have had a sneaky peek at an old clip of Daydream Believer yesterday – I know I did.
Until next time…
Shades of Gray Lyrics
(Song by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil)
When the world and I were young
Just yesterday
Life was such a simple game
A child could play
It was easy then to tell right from wrong
Easy then to tell weak from strong
When a man should stand and fight
Or just go along
But today there is no day or night
Today there is no dark or light
Today there is no black or white
Only shades of gray
I remember when the answers seemed so clear
We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear
It was easy then to tell truth from lies
Selling out from compromise
Who to love and who to hate
The foolish from the wise
But today there is no day or night
Today there is no dark or light
Today there is no black or white
Only shades of gray
It was easy then to know what was fair
When to keep and when to share
How much to protect your heart
And how much to care
But today there is no day or night
Today there is no dark or light
Today there is no black or white
Only shades of gray
Only shades of gray
What's It All About? 
Sad news about Peter Tork of the Monkees, these legends of the past have been dropping like flies the last 5 years.That Shades of Gray song is a lot more innocent than the shades of grey I was reminded of!
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It’s just life though isn’t it and sadly inevitable.
Shades of Gray is definitely a different animal from the one there was 50 shades of!
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Funny how they were marketed as a novelty act and yet their songs have stood the sands of time
Sad news
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Yes, they certainly were one of the first “manufactured for telly” bands but they ended up recording some of the best and memorable songs of the 60s (many courtesy of Neil Diamond). I have really enjoyed re-watching them in some of these clips – they were all excellent musicians and performers, so inevitable they became so well-loved.
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Peter was my favorite of the Monkees on the TV show, he was so innocent and quirky. Also underestimated as a musician. Like the message above suggests, Peter was a little troubled about the novelty aspect of the group but warmed up to their legacy after a while. RIP Peter.
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Glad he accepted their novelty aspect in time – Here we are writing about him over 50 years after the band’s heyday, so they did get something very right. Fond memories of watching them as a child and like you, I think Peter became my favourite.
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A fine tribute, Alyson, and another sad loss. I didn’t know that about Last Train To Clarksville. Makes sense now.
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It is sad isn’t it – I have really enjoyed revisiting some of these video clips over the weekend. I’m also kind of smitten with Shades of Gray as it was one of the lesser known songs I had kind of forgotten about. As for Last Train…, it does make sense doesn’t it and yet another song where there was a subtle reference being made. (Say A Little Prayer I discovered recently, was also about someone whose other half was fighting in Vietnam – hadn’t clicked before.)
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Hi. When I read his obit two days ago, I realized that I knew virtually nothing about him. I was very surprised, for instance, to learn that Stephen Stills urged him to audition for a spot in The
Monkees.
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Yes I read that too. Stephen was first up for an audition for the Monkees but he had the wrong kind of hair apparently – Peter, with his Nordic look, was what they were looking for. If things had gone a different way we might have had Crosby, Tork, Nash and Young!
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I don’t know why, but not since the news of Strummer has the news of the loss of another ‘one of ours’ affected me like Peter Tork. Even the lad Jones was, I thought, expected back anytime now – he’d only nipped out for a pint of milk, or so I was told.
The Monkees have always been, are, and will continue to be a marker in my life that only denotes good. Nothing bad ever happens if the iconic Monkees logo is close at hand.
Until now.
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I’m not sure either why we are all so sad about Peter Tork. He and the rest of the boys just remind me of my ’60s childhood where optimism and colour were the order of the day. End of an era, but some great songs have been left for us, and I for one have really enjoyed watching the clips of them in action this weekend. In Daydream Believer I love how Davy Jones and Peter sit there at the piano, picking out the tune – It really looks as if they’re having the best of times, and were genuinely great friends. Hope so anyway.
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Sorry I’m so late here – I read this the other day and meant to come back sooner but got distracted (happening all the time at the moment!) Yes, was sad to hear the news about Peter Tork. Just like you, I grew to like him the most after an initial younger crush on Davy Jones; I think I just fell for Peter’s more comedic charm too, a reflection perhaps of maturing appreciation of things other than just a cute face! He also reminded me a bit of my older male cousin, looks-wise, which gave him a sort of comfortable familiarity. Had no idea about the protest aspect of Last Train To Clarksville – love it when these unexpected facts surface and show things in a whole new light.
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You can never be “late” but it is funny how we sometimes worry we’ve offended frequent visitors if we don’t hear from them. I thought I had maybe scared you off with my “offer”, but it seems not!
You too then. Yes we always fall for the cute front man at the beginning but then change our ways as we start to appreciate what some of the other band members have to offer. I am a sucker for the one who always seems to be overlooked by the fans (Howard from Take That) but who are integral to the band as a whole.
Yes, that was a new bit of info for me too about the song. Aretha’s Say A Little Prayer was also about someone off fighting in Vietnam which was news to me when I found out about it. Great songs, both of them
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Peter wasn’t my favorite, but the Monkees wouldn’t have been the same without him. I listen to my Monkees albums as much now as I did when I was 12 years old. Trust me, that’s a lot.
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They were great weren’t they, and the songs are somehow timeless. Another one gone.
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Thank you for such a lovely article. I discovered it because my husband and I introduced our seven-year-old to the Monkees when we heard about Peter passing. His second favorite song after “Pleasant Valley Sunday” is “Shades of Gray.” He wanted to know which instruments were carrying the melody, and you not only confirmed what I thought, you wrote something beautiful. Timeless music, for sure.
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Thanks for your kind words about the article and great to hear your son is now a fan of The Monkees. Just goes to show how timeless some of these songs are but written by great songwriters.
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When I was young, I loved the Monkees because they were hilarious.My Dad& Grandmom watched them too.F.In the 80s ,I watched them on my with my kids.The only time they stayed both still ,& dressed was when the Monkees were on.Now we watch them with my grandkids.The family favorites were Micky&Mike.
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Their madcap antics appealed to all generations it seems. I would only have been around 6 or 7 when they first appeared on our screens (sadly in black and white) but I was immediately smitten. The songs are kind of timeless so I can see how you would enjoy them now with your grandkids. My favourite was Davy Jones who sadly died far too soon.
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