Thursday, February 21, 2019

Wonderwall in memory of Peter Tork








I have never made it a secret that I have always disliked the Monkees.   Sure, I think some of their songs are good, but overall, I just don't care for the Monkees.   In the days when I was very immature, I used to call Monkee Peter -- Peter Dork. 


In spite of my feelings towards the Monkees,  I am so sorry to hear of the death of Peter Tork today.   As I am dealing with my own grief right now, I am overwhelmed hearing of someone else's' death and my heart aches for Peter's family, friends, and fans because I know exactly how they are feeling right now. 

In hearing of Peter's death, I am reminded that Peter played on the Wonderwall album with George in the autumn of 1967.    Here is what Peter had to say about that meeting with the "quiet" Beatle

I’d met George when he was visiting Cass Elliot in Los Angeles, and I was dating Cass’s sister, Leah,” Peter Tork says. “Later, the Monkees met the Beatles in England, and he invited me to his house. He played the sitar and said: ‘I’m working on a soundtrack album, I’d love to have you play a little banjo.’” Tork had travelled without his instrument, so Harrison borrowed McCartney’s five-string banjo for the session – “which Paul couldn’t play – at least conventionally, because the folk five-string banjo can’t be restrung in reverse order for left-handers, it must be custom made. I played for 45 minutes, George said, ‘Thanks very much,’ and we went our separate ways.”


Tork’s breezy contribution didn’t make the record, but it can be heard 15 minutes into the film, after Collins is chided by his mother for spying through the wall. “And I did not get paid,” he laughs. “George said: ‘We’ll figure that out later.’ He knew that the honour itself was payment enough!”


5 comments:

  1. Thank you for this tribute to Peter Tork. They are one of my favorite groups so his passing was hard for me to take. Many Beatles fans are also Monkees fans and vice versa.

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  2. Sara, if you had grown up with the Monkees you would understand what they meant to the youth of that time, sure they were manufactured in the beginning but transformed into a power pop band with great songs and endearingly fun personalities for much needed teen television. The world would be a little less without their spark, RIP Davey and now Peter, a beautiful soul and music man, peace and love always...

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  3. rip Peter - great musician

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  4. The Monkees arrived in the vacuum of late 1966. The Beatles had stopped touring, their music was evolving, publicity from John's comments had turned a part of the population against them, and in to this popped the Monkees, manufactured though they were, with all the flair of A Hard Days Night, catchy pop singles - and it was in our homes every week at a time when there were only three channels to choose from. They were actors yes, but I doubt we'd be talking about it today had it been any other four. RIP Peter

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