Peter Tork, of The Monkees, dead at 77

[davideduardo]

The legendary WCBS FM in NY played I'm a Believer twice, Daydream Believer once and Last Train to Clarksville once. On our local classic hits stations WOGL, they did not play this at all...but I figured they probably would not play this, since this is a 60s band and they do not play 60s music anymore. WCBS is a bit different in that they seem to have a much bigger and wider playlist and that allows them the flexibility to play a band like this when someone from this era passes.
I was a fan of the monkees and had a few of their cds.

WCBS list of songs played in last week: 500

WOGL list of songs played in the last week: 460.

WOGL played 25 songs from 1970 to 1974, with WCBS playing 13.

WCBS played 5 pre-1970 songs, 4 of them Monkees and one was Sweet Caroline.

 

[CTListener]

WCBS list of songs played in last week: 500

WOGL list of songs played in the last week: 460.

WOGL played 25 songs from 1970 to 1974, with WCBS playing 13.

WCBS played 5 pre-1970 songs, 4 of them Monkees and one was Sweet Caroline.

There may still be a very small subset of listeners in the money demo who would appreciate those Monkees spins. I think my brother, who is 10 years younger than me -- I am 63 -- would be among that subset. His earliest musical memories are of songs like "Dock of the Bay" and "Hello Goodbye," 45s that 13-year-old me owned and played regularly, and chasing me around the house at 3 asking me to play them again and again. He wound up liking a lot more late '60s and early '70s music than most 53-year-olds do today, although his musical "sweet spot" is generally his high school and college years, late '70s through mid '80s, as one would expect of someone his age.

But few people under 55 grew up with siblings 10 or more years older than they were who were as obsessed with popular music as I was, so that subset my brother fits into is a tiny one indeed.

 

[andreajesus]

The legendary WCBS FM in NY played I'm a Believer twice, Daydream Believer once and Last Train to Clarksville once. On our local classic hits stations WOGL, they did not play this at all...but I figured they probably would not play this, since this is a 60s band and they do not play 60s music anymore. WCBS is a bit different in that they seem to have a much bigger and wider playlist and that allows them the flexibility to play a band like this when someone from this era passes.
I was a fan of the monkees and had a few of their cds.

i'm surprised that WCBSFM played ANYTHING from The Monkees - they've practically eliminated ALL 60's music!

 

[andreajesus]

I'm VERY Surprised

WCBS list of songs played in last week: 500

WCBS played 5 pre-1970 songs, 4 of them Monkees and one was Sweet Caroline.

and i'll keep sayin it - all this from a station that has practically ELIMINATED ALL 60's and 70's music (which is why I stopped listening to it in 2014)...

 

[kf4rca]

I can tell you that young people DO like old music. I once worked with a girl who asked me what year a certain song came out, that was playing on the radio.
I told her '77. Then I asked what year were you born. She replied '79.
Then I told her she was a minus 2 years old when it came out and she missed it.
We both laughed.
She said the people making music today can't really sing and should find something else to do.

 

[CTListener]

I can tell you that young people DO like old music. I once worked with a girl who asked me what year a certain song came out, that was playing on the radio.
I told her '77. Then I asked what year were you born. She replied '79.
Then I told her she was a minus 2 years old when it came out and she missed it.
We both laughed.
She said the people making music today can't really sing and should find something else to do.

The pros -- and research -- will tell you she is an outlier.

 

[ixnay]

Like Jim Morrison, Tork was a military brat whose youth took him through the Washington, DC area. (Tork was an army brat born in DC; Morrison was a Florida born navy brat who graduated from HS in Alexandria, VA.)

Are there any other rock notables who were military brats in their youth?

ixnay

 

[FreddyE1977]

I thought his parents were university professors?

 

[Tibbs4]

i'm surprised that WCBSFM played ANYTHING from The Monkees - they've practically eliminated ALL 60's music!

I think the station is great. They keep pushing the envelope. It's way okay for them to even barely play the 70's tunes. They certainly are holding their own and I am 56. Hard to type that, but it is what it is. Great line up of music and some of the best air TALENT in America. I do think it is a smart move for stations to briefly reflect on the passing of some artists, when the format semi-allows a momentary change.

 

[landtuna]

The pros -- and research -- will tell you she is an outlier.

She nailed it but was somewhat incomplete. Not only can't they sing (a common skill that hundreds of thousands of people have) but they can't compose or arrange music (a much more complicated skill). Today's pop music is junk. That is a very common opinion among generations of people. "Pro's" have a vested interest in promoting their spewage - their opinions are bought and paid for.

 

[TheBigA]

Today's pop music is junk. That is a very common opinion among generations of people.

Steak is much better than hamburger. Yet more people eat hamburger. Why is that?

People like what they like. Quality is in the eye of the beholder.

We make money off the numbers, and have no vested interest in the art itself.

 

[landtuna]

Steak is much better than hamburger. Yet more people eat hamburger. Why is that?

That's easy: Cost. Availability. Time to prepare. Relevance to pop music: none.

People like what they like. Quality is in the eye of the beholder.

People like what they are provided. What others tell them is "cool". What is easy to find.

We make money off the numbers, and have no vested interest in the art itself.

The majority? Yes. Sad but true.

 

[TheBigA]

People like what they are provided. What others tell them is "cool". What is easy to find.

With the internet, everything is provided. Access is no longer an impediment. People like what they like.

If you look at the streaming charts, where people can make their own playlists, the current pop hits are on top

 

[landtuna]

If you look at the streaming charts, where people can make their own playlists, the current pop hits are on top

Of course they are. See three reasons above. And with the continuing demise of "gold" music they will not even realize it exists.

 

[Kemosabe]

Steak is much better than hamburger. Yet more people eat hamburger. Why is that?

That's easy: Cost. Availability. Time to prepare. Relevance to pop music: none.

Perhaps Sebastian Gorka could settle this matter.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I meant to say The Charlotte Observer called him "the court jester". I was thinking he was the one people cared about while Micky was the funny one, Michael was the intellectual and Davy was good-looking. Anyway, that's just how I remember them and it has been a while. Reruns of their show were part of a syndicated package about 20 years ago where one episode was paired with an episode of "The Partridge Family". "Benson" was paired with "The Jeffersons" during another season, and "Bewitched' with "I Dream of Jeannie".

 

[vchimpanzee]

I learned on "Jeopardy" that Carol Kaye actually played bass on the early Monkees hits, before they started playing their own instruments. She may have played bass on more hit songs than anyone else.

As for why Tork played bass, he could play several instruments but no one else wanted to play bass.

 

[semoochie]

Or older. Of the rock artists that had their first hits in the mid 1960s that are still with us, I believe Petula Clark is the oldest at age 86, followed by Bill Wyman at 82. Both are still active. I can't think of anyone from that era that's older (and I'm not counting 1950s guys like Little Richard, who's also 86).

Here's someone even older, who I just assumed was young at the time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_Thompson