Frank Zappa’s bizarre appearance on The Monkees
The Monkees may well have been one of the most disliked bands of the 1960s. When The Beatles played The Ed Sullivan Show and took the world by storm, they ignited something in people that made them pine for exciting music. At the same time, they ignited something in the music industry that made them pine for the millions that the band and label were raking in.
People in the US knew that there was a clear market for bands in the states, and they were keen on capitalising on it. As a result, an ad was placed in the Hollywood Reporter that asked for “Folk & Roll Musicians-Singers for acting roles in new TV series”. This was the birth of The Monkees, who became the stars of a new TV series about a budding rock ‘n’ roll group.
As far as image is concerned, they had the look of The Beatles that people worldwide were drawn to. The suits, the hair and the charm were all on full display, but the reception they received was the opposite of what The Beatles had. While people enjoyed the image and music, it was all far too manufactured. They liked The Beatles because the band had a genuine feel to them; The Monkees had the exact opposite, and as a result, they were met with ridicule and scorn.
Not everyone was quite as harsh on the band, though. They had some fans, as while their music might have been a bit cheesy, people enjoyed the fun nature of it. Not to mention, the TV show was popular, which meant that they did have some success despite people criticising them frequently. One of their most unexpected fans, however, is Frank Zappa.
Well, a fan might be pushing it, but he showed kindness to the band during a period when a lot of people turned their noses up at them. Their music was far removed from what Zappa tended to enjoy, but likely knew how brutal people could be when critiquing music, and so always showed The Monkees an element of sympathy.
“When people hated us more than anything, he said kind things about us,” recalled Michael Nesmith when discussing their friendship. Zappa was hardly a stranger to controversy, as his live gigs developed a reputation for being disgusting, and he was often dubbed strange. Because of the controversial nature of both his music and The Monkees and how opposite the two seemed as artists, it made sense for Zappa and Nesmith to joke about the comments they received.
In a surprise appearance on the show, the two dressed up as each other and joked about one another’s music. The self-deprecating style of the interview seems very ahead of its time and holds up as pretty funny even now. Comments like, “You’re the popular musician! I’m dirty, gross and ugly,” and comments about The Monkee’s music being insipid and banal poke fun at one another while also poking fun at how overly sensitive some people are with music. It’s worth watching.
