The 80s proved a fertile breeding ground for unlikely comeback stories. When The Monkees came busting back onto the scene in the mid-80s, it just might have been the unlikeliest of all.
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They even made one final dent on the pop charts after nearly two decades had passed since their previous hit of any significance. But there’s a bit of an asterisk involved, because only half of the band was involved at all in its recording.
The Rise and Fall of the Prefab Four
Say what you will about the origins of The Monkees, but you can’t deny the success that they enjoyed. For a three-year stretch in the 60s, few bands delivered the chart goods as consistently. They earned six Top 5 hits from 1966 to 1968.
Not bad at all for a group that was essentially manufactured by producers for a television show. The four members of the band (Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, and Michael Nesmith) knew once they were hired after a massive casting call that they’d have to cede control over the music they made to those behind the enterprise.
Still, they were all accomplished musicians who hoped, as time progressed, that they’d have more say in their artistic direction, especially when it came to singles. When that failed to materialize, they started to bristle at the restrictions. First, Tork left, then Nesmith. After the 1970 album Changes, featuring only Jones and Dolenz, they disbanded entirely.
They’re Back!
The Monkees’ legacy was somewhat complicated because of their origins. Many in the music press refused to give them their due, even as their hits never lost their special spark. On top of that, others who looked deep into their catalog found ample evidence of an influential group whose great work extended well beyond the hit singles.
The quartet stayed active in the music business throughout the 70s and 80s. But the four men never quite resurrected The Monkees’ brand during that time. Everything changed in 1986. MTV, then the dominant cultural force in America, aired a “Pleasant Valley Sunday” marathon of the television show one weekend.
Suddenly, The Monkees were in high demand. Promoters quickly nabbed them for a comeback tour. And Arista Records, which held the rights to their music, wanted to put out a new compilation to capitalize on the sudden resurgence of interest. They asked if the band could record some new songs.
One More Hit
Michael Nesmith was a no-go for the reunion tour, as he was busy with other projects. But Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork signed on for the shows. When it came time for the new songs, however, Jones balked. Lingering disagreements he had with Arista prevented him from participating.
As such, only Dolenz and Tork participated in the new 1986 songs that appeared on Then & Now… The Best Of The Monkees. One of these was “That Was Then, This Is Now”. The song was first recorded by a band called The Mosquitos and written by Vance Brescia. Its nostalgia-themed title made it a natural as a new Monkees’ single.
“That Was Then, This Is Now” worked its way to No. 20 in 1986. Even though the band would record several more albums, including a couple with all four original members, they’d never again release a single that made as much impact.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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