The Monkees
Tapioca Tundra
The subject of this article should actually be an advertisement in a newspaper. Because this advertisement was the birth of “The Monkees”. After a lot of interviews with different musicians, four men were chosen to do two comparable jobs, i.e. to take part in a hippy-happy movie series on television and to play a few songs.
So, the group was the product of a campaign. But anyway, the band was a damn good and successful musical creation. Even in Germany, the funny TV series got a lot of attention. The title track was called “Hey, Hey We’re The Monkees”.Everybody from this period 40 years ago can still hum the melody and can even remember the lyrics.
I also remember a weird situation in a record shop. One of the first single recordings I bought was a piece named “I’m A Believer” written by Neil Diamond for the crazy four “animals”. But what a disappointment when I was listening to the song at home. It wasn’t the piece I loved. Well, what had happened? Unfortunately, I had mistaken the song for another one of the group, called “Daydream Believer”. The reason for that was the similar titles. By the way till this day, “Daydream…” is one of my all-time favorites.
Anyways, I want to draw your attention to a little gem that was released in 1968 on The Monkees’ album “The Birds, The Bees And The Monkees”. Later, you could listen to it as a B-side of the single “Vallerie”. It wasn’t written by an external people, but by a member of the group himself — Mister “Silver Moon Baby” Michael Nesmith. You can always identify him wearing a dark bobble. Nowadays all the experts agree in regarding Nesmith as the most talented member of the band.
Tapioca Tundra’s style reminds me of the old gramophone ragtime music. The voice sounds nasal and distorted. Until today, I have failed to understand the lyrics. The words make no sense to me and so I refuse to interpret them. Only Nesmith knows the meaning, but I truly doubt that he had a special intention. I think, the song fits the flower-power era. In those days some strange artworks , pictures, drawings, songs, were created reflecting no serious thoughts but love and peace.
Anyway, you should listen to it, a real masterpiece !
