The Monkees finally hit the big time. They score a recording contract and a national tour, and become a sensation. Even as they sell millions of records and play to packed concert halls, however, they struggle for artistic and creative freedom, co...
The Monkees' fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, And Jones Ltd., hit Number 1 shortly after Micky and Gabby returned from their honeymoon. It vaulted over the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, as well as Headquarters, which had slid down to the Number 18 slot.
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It only stayed at Number 1 for one week, though it stayed on the chart for 64 weeks. They also scored a Number 1 hit with a song Davy sang called Daydream Believer, which had sort of been his theme song among the group and family for years, backed with an incredible song written by all four guys and sung by Micky called Goin' Down which Gabby felt was the best thing Micky had ever sung, but the guys could feel that their music was on the downswing in general. They were on the hunt for a new venue to make their imprint and one conveniently landed in their laps.
Rafelson was looking to get into producing movies, having gotten a taste for it with his camera work with the Monkees. He was approached by a B actor named Jack Nicholson who was intrigued by the Monkees' music and aesthetic and had pitched the idea of doing a feature movie starring them. The guys decided to at least hear him out. They went to a resort in Ojai, California, and in a drug-fueled hazed (again, Micky cleared it with Gabby but she had misgivings) they roughed out some ideas of what the movie could be about.
Rafelson secured partial funding for the movie from Colgems by promising a killer soundtrack. Colgems was an imprint of Columbia Pictures, so the synergy was there. By now, the guys weren't exactly newcomers to acting, but they had the raw, fresh talent that Rafelson felt could make the movie exciting to a new generation of movie-goers. The Monkees signed on to the project primarily with the aim of widening the audience for their music, but also to elevate the appreciation of their work as art and not just pabulum for children.
Before shooting began, Davy and Peter took a quick promotional tour to the U.K. on behalf of the new album. Peter was finally introduced to the Beatles, and was pleased to be invited by George Harrison to contribute banjo music to his Wonderwall film and soundtrack.
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