Timeline
More from year 1967
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About
The Monkees were an American pop rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actors/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conceived in 1965 by television producers for the situation comedy series of the same name. Music credited to the band was released on LP, as well as being included in the show, which aired from 1966 to 1968.
On February 5, 1967, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith arrived in London. On February 7, 1967, after the filming of the “Penny Lane” promotion film was over, Micky Dolenz visited Paul McCartney’s house in Cavendish Avenue.
Paul turned out to be a tremendously real and likeable person. He said that he watched and enjoyed our TV show and that he liked our records. That I think is a tremendous tribute. I expected to be overawed by him—but he’s such a relaxed friendly person that I felt completely at ease.
The Beatles have always been revered by us as a group and there isn’t a person on the pop scene who has not been influenced by them but that does not mean we have tried to imitate them on film. Our humor is based upon the type of comedy the Marx Brothers had in their early films.
Paul is a beautiful guy—his moustache knocked me out—I may grow one like that some day and he wore the most fantastic tie. He asked me if I wanted to drink and I had an orange juice.
Originally the whole thing was set up as a publicity thing and although I didn’t dig that idea much I was really pleased that it worked out so well and that we seemed to get on well together.
Most of the evening we sat around talking about just everything and he played me “Penny Lane” and some of the tracks off the new LP like “When I Was ’64” which is fantastic old jazz type number.
Micky Dolenz – From Flip Magazine, June 1967 – From Monkees Fan Site (coolcherrycream.com)
Micky knows what it’s all about. I fully expect the Monkees to go from strength to strength. This is no here today and gone tomorrow group. The Monkees are going to surprise everyone.
Paul McCartney – From Flip Magazine, June 1967 – From Monkees Fan Site (coolcherrycream.com)
I didn’t even want to meet The Beatles! I mean, what do you say? It’s like meeting God! What if Jesus Christ walked in this room now? I wouldn’t know what to say to him. I feel the daily papers set up my meeting with Paul, causing embarrassment to him. I was really upset by it. I thought it was terrible. Paul is such a beautiful guy and he’s so friendly. I didn’t know what to say to him, but he was so easy and relaxed that we were soon talking like old friends. We sat around listening to the tracks from The Beatles’ next LP and he played me ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Strawberry Fields’. They’re both beautiful numbers, but I prefer ‘Strawberry Fields’, It’s more progressive. It’s the kind of music that I want to do.
Micky Dolenz – From “The Beatles: Off the Record” by Keith Badman, 2008
We just sat there, got stoned and watched television. If you had broadcast TV with an antenna and the channel isn’t tuned perfectly, you know, like snow, well, that’s what we watched. Four hours, just watching snow on the television.
Micky Dolenz – From “The Beatles: Off the Record” by Keith Badman, 2008
If I chose [one album from The Beatles], it would be “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” There’s a picture of me holding the album out a window in 1967 while The Monkees were on tour in Europe. There was this made-up Monkees/Beatles controversy. We found that hilarious, because there was no one in the world who was bigger fans than we were. The Monkees’ fans were the younger brothers and sisters of The Beatles fans; it was almost like the next generation. I remember some kids outside the hotel were yelling, “Monkees! Monkees! Monkees!” and there were other kids yelling “Beatles! Beatles! Beatles!” And so we held out the “Sgt. Pepper’s” album, and it made the press. It was like, “Surprise! The Monkees like The Beatles!”
Micky Dolenz – Interview with Goldmine Magazine, November 2010
The Monkees Meet The Beatles
Micky Monkee meets Paul McCartney!
That was the exciting pop surprise which happened at Paul’s St. John Wood’s home when Micky visited London.
Micky had once said that “meeting a Beatle would be rather like seeing God!” But he had an entirely different impression after coming away from his chat with Paul (which he relayed to me during a quick flip in and out of a London TV studio).
“Paul turned out to be a tremendously real and likeable person,” he said. “He said that he watched and enjoyed our TV show and that he liked our records. That I think is a tremendous tribute. I expected to be overawed by him—but he’s such a relaxed friendly person that I felt completely at ease.
“The Beatles have always been revered by us as a group and there isn’t a person on the pop scene who has not been influenced by them but that does not mean we have tried to imitate them on film. Our humor is based upon the type of comedy the Marx Brothers had in their early films.
“Paul is a beautiful guy—his moustache knocked me out—I may grow one like that some day and he wore the most fantastic tie. He asked me if I wanted to drink and I had an orange juice.
“Originally the whole thing was set up as a publicity thing and although I didn’t dig that idea much I was really pleased that it worked out so well and that we seemed to get on well together.
“Most of the evening we sat around talking about just everything and he played me “Penny Lane” and some of the tracks off the new LP like “When I Was ’64” which is fantastic old jazz type number.”
Paul, ever the Beatles diplomat, had obviously completely won over Mickey [sic] and any skeptical opinions he might have had were completely eliminated.
“Micky knows what its [sic] all about,” says Paul, “I fully expect the Monkees to go from strength to strength. This is no here today and gone tomorrow group. The Monkees are going to surprise everyone.”
The little resentment which still exists in British pop circles over the Monkees taking over from English groups seems to be dying and it is quite certain that the cordial meeting Paul and Micky have helped put millions of minds at rest.
Paul once said to me: “When you are young and you are new and you are a big attraction it is inevitable that comparisons will be made between you and established artists—no matter how original you are but eventually, if you have talent, the individuals come through.”
Paul was then talking about the Beatles but he might well have been referring to the Monkees.
Paul knows that as the Monkees today are being compared to the Beatles, one day another group will be compared to the Monkees.
And, in their short surprise meeting, Paul gave Micky an idea of what that day will be like.
Last updated on February 9, 2024
Going further
The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years
"With greatly expanded text, this is the most revealing and frank personal 30-year chronicle of the group ever written. Insider Barry Miles covers the Beatles story from childhood to the break-up of the group."
We owe a lot to Barry Miles for the creation of those pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details - a day to day chronology of what happened to the four Beatles during the Beatles years!
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