PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY - The Monkees - 1967 The Monkees were developed as a television series about an American rock band (inspired by that other rock band with a misspelled animal name.) Though they had limited studio time -- filming the TV show took precedence -- they were real musicians. After the show folded, the fake band became a real one. They reasserted control over their musical output and began to record in earnest. Though never at the level of that other band from England, they nonetheless put out an impressive catalog of pop songs with fluffy hits like Daydream Believer. Other songs have a deeper message, including Last Train to Clarksville whose refrain I dont know if Im ever coming home, referenced Clarksville, Tenn., a depot for Vietnam-bound GIs. Gerry Goffin and Carol King penned this number, a biting look at social status in suburbia, inspired by their own street --- Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, NJ.
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 19:41:38 +0000