Tuesday, February 7, 1967
Last updated on July 30, 2024
Location: 7 Cavendish Avenue, St John’s Wood, London, UK
Article Feb 05, 1967 • Paul McCartney attends a concert by Cream
Film Feb 05 and 07, 1967 • Shooting of "Penny Lane" promo film
Article Feb 07, 1967 • Paul McCartney meets Micky Dolenz, from the Monkees
Session Feb 08, 1967 • Recording "Good Morning Good Morning"
Session Feb 09, 1967 • Recording "Fixing A Hole"
Next article Feb 16, 1967 • "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" music videos shown on Top Of The Pops
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
Yesterday’s other Summit Meeting… a Monkee and his god
A MONKEE met his god yesterday. It was a pop summit meeting between the group’s 21-year-old drummer Micky Dolenz and Beatle Paul McCartney. Micky said after flying into London on Monday: “I haven’t met the Beatles and, frankly, I don’t want to. If I met one it would be like meeting God. I wouldn’t know what to do or how I’d feel.“
Less than twenty-four hours later, I went with Micky to Paul’s home in St. John’s Wood. Paul, Emperor of pop, greeted his disciple royally.
The emperor and the new young noble shook hands, and Paul said: “It’s good to see you. Come on in.“
Micky — his group’s “I’m a Believer” disc is top of the pops — whispered to me: “Golly, I never thought I would meet one of the Beatles like this. He is a hell of a guy.” And later yesterday Micky told what it was like to meet a Beatle. “I felt really scared at the gate,” he admitted, “but Paul certainly gave me a tremendous welcome. I was sitting back within a few seconds with a drink in my hand and chatting away as though we had known each other for years. Paul is real groovy. So is his new moustache. I thought that one day I might grow one like it. All of us dig the Beatles although we’ve never set out to copy them. For us and everyone they are the greatest and always will be. But we had to start somewhere and other things do happen.“
Micky went on: “Paul told me he liked our music a lot and it was a nice tribute. He also told me he watched our television show and he thought it was good.“
And what did Paul say of the Monkee? “He’s up on the scene,” said Paul, “and he doesn’t miss a word you say. You can see why Monkee fans dig him. And I’m sure now the Monkees are going to live up to a lot of things many people didn’t expect.“
Maybe the Monkees will be as big as the Beatles one day. Then they could share top billing. Or even amalgamate, calling themselves the Animals… Or perhaps that’s been done already.
From The Daily Mirror – February 8, 1967
GREAT FRIENDS
The Beatles got on famously with Monkees Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith and Davy Jones, when they visited this country during February. Paul was first off by inviting Micky, and road-manager Ric Klein, over to his St. John’s Wood home as soon as they arrived. Many of you will have seen the photo, which appeared in the “Daily Mirror” the next morning, of Micky and Paul sitting in front of “Solo” in Paul’s music room. John, also, lent the boys his Rolls Royce when they had trouble with their car. And, of course, the Monkees went to that special recording, when Paul conducted a large orchestra.
From The Beatles Monthly Book – March 1967
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.
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