#'that pained look on his face as these guys were being rude... condescending' 💔

[thislovintime]

Photo 6 by Paul Natkin.

“In my eyes, Peter was a seasoned pro. He was easy going, humorous and took his music very seriously. [...] I am very proud to have played music with Peter. [...] He loved playing music with other musicians and loved being in a band.” - Jim Gibson, interview for This Lovin’ Time, September 2023 (x)

“[In the early 1980s, in NYC] I remember we went down to the China Club, and I took Peter down there, and… and I felt that a lot of the musicians, you know, disrespected him. He didn’t play, but I introduced him, ‘This is my pal, Peter,‘ and they were kind of, like, blowing him off a little bit, and I remember seeing, you know, that pained look on his face as these guys were being rude — or condescending; not so much rude, it’s just condescending, like, ‘Oh, you were the Monkee, pfff,’ you know. And… and I know it troubled him. [Once the resurgence and 20th anniversary tour came around] that’s when Peter started — when they started giving him, you know, some regard. - James Lee Stanley, The Monkees Pad Show no. 11

“Music has been a strong part of my life. That’s why I get so upset when I hear people talk about The Monkees not being able to play instruments,’ he asserted. […] ‘None of us, and I’m talking about [Micky] Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones and myself, were non-musical. We were real musicians and we played real music,’ he emphasized. ‘There was a lot of commercial hype involved with the emergence of The Monkees. Without at least a dollop of commercialism, you can’t make it in the business. Talent and commercialism go together. People liked to put us down, but we were there and we will be remembered,’ Tork offered.” - Citizens’ Voice, October 19, 1983