FORGOTTEN HITS: More Monday Morning Memories

Monday, February 16, 2026

More Monday Morning Memories

>>>Gary Strobl reminds us that February 14th was the 60th anniversary of NBC announcing that "The Monkees" television series would premier in the fall. (kk)

60 years since the "Mapcaps II" foursome became reality!?!?! Despite the obvious ploy to copy the Beatles (as you can read above), the Monkees became a phenomenon that really still amazes me. The music was great. The TV show was silly, but often camp like Batman, which had premiered earlier in '66. Kinda ground breaking with their music videos every show ... and imagine having "For Pete's Sake" as a TV credits song! SO many things were cool about the faux Beatles in retrospect. Of course, the Beatles cartoon show series was somewhat along the lines of the Monkees show -- only in cartoon form. Not expecting to sing on records and singing, not playing instruments and then playing. One and then two members drop out by 1970. AND the battle between Beatles and Monkees fans over who was better. I loved 'em both.

I remember going to a 5 PM church group in 1968 and one kid had a petition to have the Monkees TV show saved from the axe. I could not believe they were dropping the MONKEES show! YET, I had to admit to not having watched the previous two episodes. I signed it. Have no idea where the thing went from there. The show was cancelled and soon the group was dropping off charts. A magical two years basically had ended.

Clark Besch

I've tried to keep it all in perspective ... but it hasn't gotten any easier as the years go by.

I know have to acknowledge that I was born in the mid-1900's. I lived thru the '60's ... and have now lived thru MY 60's! ... but I still remember every detail and feeling this era had for me at the time, all these years later. There was something truly magical about it.

For a kid who just turned into a teenager a month before The Monkees debuted on TV, it was an interesting time in music. At MY age, The Beatles had outgrown me ... and let's face it, I wasn't the audience they were looking for anymore anyway. It was The Monkees who made me actually want to pick up a guitar and learn how to play it ... to seek out the joy of putting together a band (having no idea the difficulty of keeping it together and all the challenges of doing so ... and actually finding paying gigs ... which made us even MORE like The Monkees.) But I watched every episode (and have seen them all countless times since ... and, incredibly, even 60 years later, they still make me laugh from time to time.

Two years of complete pandemonium ... with FIVE #1 Albums and FIVE #1 Singles during those 24 months. Why, it was unheard of since ... since ... well, since The Beatles did it just two years earlier!

We all know whose music has grown in stature since then ... but I'll tell you what ... the greatest majority of the music that The Monkees made during that two years time have stood the test of time as well ... and it's fun-filled, feel-good music. (I'll never forget spending part of the summer of '67 with my Grandmother in the city ... and her taking me shopping, telling me I could get whatever I wanted ... and when I picked out The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album her admonishing me, asking "What do you want to give your money to THOSE guys for??? They're just going to go out and spend it on drugs!!!" Wait a second ... The Beatles are going to use MY money to buy drugs??? MY money?!?! How will they know which money was mine?!?! Freaked me out!!! I mean, I was just an impressionable kid at the time!!!) kk

Speaking of The Monkees, Micky Dolenz has kicked off his “60 Years Of The Monkees” tour … and you can literally watch the entire show (32 songs!) via this link sent in below! (kk)

Micky Dolenz Kicks Off '60 Years of the Monkees' Tour: Set List

Kent:

I read with great interest your sentence about The Eagles in today’s “Sunday Comments:

>>>The Eagles' final two shows at The Sphere in Las Vegas (April 10^th and 11^th) will bring their total to 29 weekends there for a total of 58 exclusive shows. (kk)

I’m predicting they are NOT the final two shows and because The Eagles like even numbers, they will soon announce upping the total shows to 60!

Just my hunch!

Tom Cuddy

New York, NY

As we've seen, hell has already frozen over for these guys once before ... so I don't put ANYTHING past them at this point! Sure would loved to have seen it 'tho! (kk)

Best Classic Bands salutes 16 two-sided hits this week …

https://bestclassicbands.com/double-sided-hit-singles-10-12-1999/

We’re still in the process of updating our Top 200 Two-Sided Hits list … along with 300 of your All-Time Favorite B-Sides …

Hoping to have these new stats posted shortly. (kk)

Kent,

What a smashing job by Anne Reburn! Her Youtube channel (link) has plenty more videos -- not just covers, but even some original songs!

There is a link to Patreon for those interested in supporting her craft!

Bob Frable

Here's hoping that you had a Special Valentine this past weekend … or, at the very least, Memories of One that you will cherish always!

With that in mind, now to the "CB Wayback Machine!"

Do you remember cruisin' the humble and unassuming Eighth Street, or whatever the Main Drag was for you in your High School Years in your town, on those cold February Nights in 1962?!

There was no Rapid City "Top 40" Radio station to listen to in the evenings then so we tuned in to the 50,000 watt Powerhouse from Oklahoma City that came in like a local station in the winter, K-O-M-A, and we all pretty much became "Loyal K-O-M-A Listeners!"

And do you remember their "Kissing Tone?!"

Ah, yes! That Sweet Memory of quickly pulling over onto a side street to share a brief Warm and Tender Moment with that Special Someone close beside you!