#33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee

[happyfoxphantom]

The Monkees rehearsing for 33 1/3 Monkees Per Revolutions, October, 1968

[jokerlennon]

ART-I-FICIAL! (NEW & IMPROVED VERSION)

[radarsteddybear]

Peter:

Micky:

Davy:

[savebatsfromscratch]

Whump... I'm having thoughts...

I don't know what thoughts they are but I'm having them.

[freetheshit-outofyou]

I found this 1977 goodie in a box of my old records. It's not really worth anything but I remeber wearing the needel out on my record player playing it.

[savebatsartedition]

Some doodles with some songs. :)

"So tell me Mr. TV Man just where you make your moral stand?"

"I'm gonna buy me a dog! (A dog? A dog.)"

"Me and all I did you you, I'm sorry now, what can I do?"

[fleetn-crab85]

Hello and welcome to a episode of...

Crab Over Analyzes "Naked Persimmon" from "33 and 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee!"

Where, like the title says, I'm going to go through Mike's fantasy because there's a lot I want to unpack.

Now for context, at the 13-ish minute mark in 33 & 1/3, the mind control guy says (and I quote):

“Hm, interesting fantasies they have. Fixation, Withdrawal, Schizophrenia, Regression.”

Let's get this started because it's going to be long:

In the mind control guy's list he puts Mike at being “Schizophrenia". My first thought is, why? What about Mike’s fantasy screams “schizophrenia”? Is it because there’s two distinct versions of himself? Is it because he's singing two different styles of songs? Is it another reason?

The scene begins with a high energy, pretty standard Monkee sounding tune (and by Monkee sounding tune I mean it sounds like the Beatles). We see that the woman from before is shooting at a wanted poster with Mike’s face on it (Figure One). It seems he is wanted for 25,000 dollars for the crime of fraud. The poster is also split in two, one side that’s faded in black and white while the other is saturated with color. (Forgive me for the screenshot qualities I'm not working with much here)

Figure One, The Wanted Poster

We also see, perched on top of the image of himself, Mike clad in his nudie suit! (Figure Two) He also jumps when the woman shoots at him like she narrowly missed his head. While cowboy Mike is dealing with that, another Mike climbs up next to him. He’s dressed in more "modern" clothing, something right out of the first episode of the Monkees TV show (Figure Three).

Figures Two and Three, Cowboy and Monkee Mike

The Monkee Mike begins to kind of speak-sing,

Now it’s quite a while ago that I had a strange intuition Something was wrong with my gold record situation

Then, the Cowboy Mike cuts in,

Why do they say with so much adoration?

Then the other Mike angrily responds,

Well I can’t see that it makes it right!

Then out of nowhere Cowboy Mike starts strumming his guitar and changes the style of the song entirely. It’s slower with an audible old-sounding piano.

So for a while, I’ll just play my guitar And I’ll play a couple of tunes And I know that it may not get me too far But it’s the only thing I believe that’s true

During this part, Cowboy Mike encourages the audience, or rather the other Mike, to “sing along!”. Monkee Mike begrudgingly accepts and starts harmonizing with the Cowboy (Figure Four).

Figure Four, The Mikes Singing Together

Then Monkee Mike looks around, as if he knows someone is watching, and starts strumming his guitar to the same style as before,

Well the devil incarnate was runnin’ music supervision Put me in a state of catalytic euphemism

But Cowboy Mike butts again,

Someone’s preaching about the wonder world of communism

Then the other Mike continues, a little more defeated than last time,

But me I don’t understand it all-

And back to Cowboy Mike taking the song back over!

So for a while, I’ll just play my guitar And I’ll sing a couple of tunes And I know that it may not get me too far But it’s the only thing I believe that’s true

Monkee Mike, of course, doesn’t let this go much longer and takes the song back,

Well tell me Mr. TV Man, where do you make your moral stand? Which way, say, do you take your pay? Do you walk straight up? Or do you face the other way?

Then he holds out a long “woah” before screaming something into Cowboy Mike’s face. I’m not entirely sure what it is because the audio on the video isn’t that great (and I should also say the lyrics may also be wrong I'm working with very little here). Cowboy Mike then takes the song back to the slower tempo, but Monkee Mike doesn’t try to really fight it this time,

For a while, I’ll play my guitar And I’ll sing a couple of tunes And I know that it may not get me too far But it’s the only thing I believe that’s true

After they finish the last line, Monkee Mike gets shot (probably the woman) offscreen and falls over, presumably dead (Figure Five). Then Cowboy Mike hesitantly repeats the last line and is then promptly shot as well.

Figure Five, Monkee Mike is Shot

Now what does this have to do with schizophrenia? Well, I believe this is just the movie’s way of saying Mike is split into two-ish personalities.

(I also may be wrong about this, but I believe 33 & 1/3 is trying to say something about dissociative identity disorder, not schizophrenia, but I genuinely can’t tell)

The Cowboy Mike represents his desire to be his own person separate from the Monkees. In this persona, he’s his own musician. He's fully embraced his Texas roots and happily sings songs about playing the guitar. However, I still believe this Mike is some sort of facade since the nudie suit and song are so over-the-top country it’s comical. I would even say the Cowboy Mike's part of the song farcical. Mike is still forced to put on an act even when he’s trying to be true to himself due to that inherent desire to perform.

The Monkee Mike, on the other hand, is obviously tied down to his life as a Monkee, even when his true self tries to shine through. This Mike also isn’t afraid to ask questions and combat topics that the Cowboy Mike may want to but can't due to his "non-celebrity status" (I personally am interpreting Cowboy Mike to be an vision of Mike that never became famous but he still sings). Monkee Mike is an idealization of what Mike wants to do with his status as a Monkee but can't due to continually being "cut off" by producers, directors, or even his own fears.

The Monkee Mike also being shot first represents, to me, the death of the Monkees after their heyday. His celebrity status as a Monkee will be the first to go, then his other fabricated self. After that, there’s not much Mike left. He’s a fraud either way. The “only thing [he] believe[s is] true” is his music, not himself.

If you made it this far, Thank you for reading this! I'd love to hear your thoughts and/or comments about it in the tags, replies, or whatever!

[dandylion420]

Happy slightly late anniversary, 33 1/3 Revolutions <3

[mrsarcadian]

[monkeesmvs]

Peter Tork performing Bach's Solfeggietto From 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee

[thislovintime]

Peter Tork - "(I Prithee) Do Not Ask For Love" - 33 ⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee (1968).

“It was Mike who brought that song [‘(I Prithee) Do Not Ask For Love’] in. It was that faux medieval language that caught my attention, plus I liked the [chord] changes. More recently I get stopped by that line: ‘Thou makest me free, but soon thou makest demands on me…’ [It’s] too jarring now. I don’t think I can sing it anymore except as a joke. Or in private. Sure did like it while it lasted, though. I [later] got to do it independently for the 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee [television special in late 1968] with Bones Howe, who thought we might be able to work together, but nothing came of it.” - Peter Tork, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees box set liner notes

[jokerlennon]

you think they call us plastic now, babe... (monkees/beatles + barbie girl)

[cptnbeefheart]

now that ABOM issue 1 is published, i can post my contribution :] please do not repost unless you clearly credit me!!

here’s an obnoxious explanation of all my choices that is probably way too much information :

I find the most interesting aspect of the monkees to be their era of deconstructing the image that TV & studio execs had so carefully crafted. in the process of preserving this image, these execs had created somewhat palatable characters, caricatur-izing (sorry.) elements of the casts’ real personalities. the artists themselves were given an illusion of control over their brand, rarely getting the opportunity to publish the art that they made themselves.

ANYWAY.. tying this all into my piece .. i wanted to make something dedicated to frustrations felt by all members of the monkees. Peter is in the front, making strides toward the edge of the chessboard; the monkeemobile flooring it to stand in his way. I wanted the image of a monkee crushing something that was a major symbol in the show itself. what’s more iconic than the monkee mobile itself ?! my hope is that this shows autonomy on peters part, his true self contradicting this false image created by execs-- no longer a pawn for them! of course peter was the first to quit, which is why he is taking the lead. Mike was next, buying himself out of his contract in order to publish his own music and take control of his artistic career. even throughout the brainstorming process for this, i knew i wanted to put mike in his flashy (but fabulous) nudie suit. to me its such a foreshadowing of what he would go on to do in his solo career and with the first national band. i had to CONTAIN MYSELF because i didnt want mike to have a whole bunch of detail and not fit in with the rest of the subjects.. Mike is looking straight toward the audience, realizing he would like to pursue creative projects that would not be possible working with the monkees™ and everything that they symbolize. Davy looks for the edge of the chessboard, contemplating whether or not he should leave. Micky, wearing his outfit from Head (1968), holds a remote control. This is all in reference to the imagery seen in the film; he finally has the option to change the channels for himself. I actually used a screenshot from the movie to get his face & hair right. I think in the 2 years filming the show micky started embracing his curls, but the only references from a upward angle were when he was straightening his hair !!!! I ended up using the scene where he blows up the Coke machine, a satisfied smirk on his face. what an appropriate scene. finally the chessboard, white rabbits & wind up toys. I don’t think I really need to explain that aside from mentioning that the image of the wind-ups is from 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee (1969). I think this was the last official monkees thing Peter was in (outside of future reunion tours). The television special echos the themes already present in Head, so i felt like it would be a nice addition. And it shows the monkees as pawns versus having full autonomy. WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY LAST POINT ONE MORE THING ITS QUICK I PROMMY okay perpective ! I wanted to do an upward shot because First of all its fun but more importantly . it shows the cast themselves have outgrown their characters :] now who knows if ive succeeded in any of the things i attempted but at least i had fun :] and feeling like charlie iasip pepe silvia is healthy every once in a while...

[radarsteddybear]

I left out "Listen to the Band" because, given that it shows up on just about every single "greatest hits" Monkees albums, I think it would be the clear winner here.

[monkee-mobile]

My contribution to the age old argument of “but the Monkees don’t play their own instruments!!” yadda yadda, and the little Head-fueled speculation of whether or not all of it is real at the end of 33 1/3.

I saw the meme, and immediately Peter came into my head.