Doll-A-Day 2019 #52: Goodbye Peter Tork

    Today Peter Tork passed away. Peter Tork was best known as a member of The Monkees.

  As you may have read here before, I loved the Monkees as a kid, and Peter was my favourite. I still have my 'Monkees box', the cigar box my sister decorated for me to keep my Monkees stuff in. Sadly, my mom threw away the contents: my bubble gum cards, my pages torn from Tiger Beat and 16 magazines, and my fake autographed picture, which my sister and I had sent away for.
  My sister gave me all her Monkees albums in the late 70's. I introduced Emma to The Monkees TV series when she was little and she didn't care for it much. When I tried again when she was a little older, she got hooked. I passed those albums on to her, along with other albums and 45s, my 1986 concert program and t-shirt, and all the photos I took at the show. Since then Emma has gathered a collection of Monkees records and collectibles.
 

Part of Emma's collection. The Mike and Davy dolls are Mego-like dolls made by Figures Toy Co. The Monkeemobile model is a reproduction one of her friends got her one year.

They became her favourite band, and one of her favourite things overall. She has been to see them many times, in various combinations of members. (She even flew to San Francisco once just to see Mike Nesmith sing with another of her favourites, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie.) We got her a Meet and Greet ticket for her birthday one year, so she got to meet Peter, Davy, and Mickey. Unfortunately, the Meet and Greet came as a surprise to the band, so even though they complied and did the Meet and Greet,a very tired Peter,(who had recently been suffering from cancer),signed, but declined to pose for pictures. 

Emma and Mickey. She has had a couple of other opportunities to meet Mickey, and even interviewed him by phone for her music blog.

Davy isn't wearing a nurse's cap. That's the doorway behind him.

 Emma had them sign her Monkees lunchbox, which is now her prize possession. Later she bought herself a Meet and Greet for a Mike Nesmith concert and got to have him sign her lunchbox too.

Emma, on the right, talking to Mike Nesmith.

When it came time for the picture, Emma's camera battery died and her phone had no charge. She was going to give up, but Mike insisted that one of his people take their photo and email it to Emma.

  It's her top 'things to grab in a fire' object,(Her cat Cowboy isn't an object.)

Emma really needs to get a case to protect that in. (In which to protect that?)

Emma's Monkees Wacky Wobblers bobble heads by Funko,which she has had since she was a teenager, and her Monkeemobile.

  Peter Tork was born Peter Halsten Thorkleson, in on February 13,1942. Although born in Washington,D.C., Peter grew up in Connecticut. Peter started studying piano at the age of nine, and became accomplished on several instruments, including Banjo, piano, guitar, and bass guitar. He eventually moved to Greenwich Village, where he became friends with another musician, Stephen Stills, later of Crosby Still & Nash. When Stephen auditioned for  a new TV show about a pop group he was told his hair and teeth wouldn't do. But, the producers asked, did he know anybody who looked similar to him? Stephen suggested his friend Peter. Peter went along to the auditions, for the show "The Monkees", and the rest is history.

  You can watch the first episode of the series HERE.
  While it's usually told that none of The Monkees were allowed to play on their first couple of albums, Peter actually played some guitar,(although, not lead.) on the first album. On subsequent albums he played banjo, guitar, bass guitar, piano, and harpsichord. Peter also wrote the song, "For Pete's Sake", which viewers of the show might be familiar with as the second season closing theme of the Monkees TV series. You can see the closing credits and hear the song HERE. You can hear the full song in a 'romp' clip from the show HERE.

-

  Although The Monkees broke up,(a little at a time, as members kept leaving,),many years ago, they also kept reuniting. When MTV aired the series in the mid 80's,there was a Monkees resurgence. The band toured and even recorded a new album. Ten years after that they recorded another new album in their 30th anniversary year. Fans bought the albums, but the real gem of their later output was the critically applauded "Good Times", released in 2016. Songs were written for the Monkees for that album by successful modern musicians who had loved The Monkees for years. Contributors included Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, XTC's Andy Partridge, Noel Gallagher of Oasis, Paul Weller of The Jam and Style Council, Death Can for Cutie's Ben Gibbard, and Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger,(who also produced the album). Last year there was a new Monkees Christmas album released, "Christmas Party", which included songs by some of the same contributing songwriters.
  Peter also toured for years with his own band, Shoe Suede Blues. Ten years ago Peter was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. Today, he finally passed away from complications of the disease.

  I will see you all tomorrow.

Doll-A-Day 2017 #94: Emma's Collection: The Monkees Wacky Wobblers, Figures Toy Co Monkee Man, and the Monkeemobile

 Emma has always loved music. She has a huge record collection...

This is only part of her record collection.

Cd collection...

This is just a few of her CDs.

 ...and lots of musical items around her apartment,including instruments.(Emma played violin for years and has taught herself some piano/keyboard.)

I gave her these miniature instruments in frames.

She even has her own radio show,(Go HERE  to stream it live on Thursday evenings.),runs a music blog,(You can go to it HERE.),and writes for an online music magazine called Rebeat. (You can read Rebeat HERE.) 
  One big part of Emma's collection of collections is The Monkees. For those of you too young to remember them, The Monkees were a 60's band, originally four individuals recruited by producers to star in a TV series. It was during the height of Beatlemania, and the series was meant to be a comical,musical romp in the vein of The Beatles very successful movie,"A Hard Day's Night". Two of the members,Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones, were actors,(Although both had also performed as singers: Dolenz with a band,and Jones in the play "Oliver",as the Artful Dodger,and as a solo recording artist.),and two,Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork, were musicians. During the course of the series, the actors became musicians as well, and the musicians did pretty well as actors too. The band even wrote many of the songs they performed. The TV series won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series it's first year. The band had quite a few hits,and many of their songs are still being used in movies and tv. (For instance,"I'm a Believer" was used in "Shrek".)
  I originally tried to show Emma the TV series when she was pretty small. I had watched the show when it was originally shown,when I was about 4-5 years old. That's about the age she was when I showed it to her, and she had no interest at all. I tried again a couple of years later,(or more.I should ask Emma.),and she loved it. She has loved the Monkees ever since.
  When she was a kid we got her this set of Monkees bobble heads:

They're Wacky Wobblers by Funko.

She actually has a couple of the blue shirt versions too.
The Monkeemobile was a 'gift' from us too, although she already had one.(Don't ask.)

It's by Ertl. She also has a model of the Monkeemobile, which was a gift from some friends.

It's by MPC.

For Christmas, Fuzzy's girlfriend, Shanna, and I got her these two Monkee Men figures by Figures Toy Co.

Figures Toy Co is the same company that made the Batman Bookworm figure I got for my birthday. (You can see him HERE.) Like the Bookworm, they are 8" tall.

I have to say the Mike is a better likeness than the Davy.

"I don't know about that. I think they made you way too muscley." "Oh yeah? Well they made you too tall!"

 

The back of the package. These figures were released in 2015.
There were three series of Monkees figures by Figures Toy Co.(I think the Micky is the best likeness.)

The Monkee Men series...

...the red shirt series...

...and the tuxedo series.

 But the Monkee Men were her first choice.

As I said in my Bookworm post,these figures use a body like the old Mego figures. They are jointed at the neck,shoulders,elbows,wrists,torso, waist,hips, ankles,and knees.
  She also has a couple of vintage Remco Monkees finger dings dolls. I think they are amongst the things that are still here at home.
She has a vintage Monkees thermos.(It's there on the right,behind a box of some sort.) Her prize possession though, is this Monkees lunchbox. (On the left.)

It isn't an original vintage one or anything. She was a kid when we found it at a Sam Goody. It came with a small puzzle in it. But it's very special.

It's signed by all 4 Monkees. For Emma's 20th birthday we bought her a meet and greet ticket to a Monkees concert. She got to meet all three Monkees who were doing the concert,Micky,Davy, and Peter.

Emma and Davy Jones.Davy is not wearing a nurse/soda jerk hat. That's the doorway behind him.

Emma and Micky Dolenz. I don't know who took the picture for her. Bit wobbly.

Peter was really tired, and the Meet and Greet was set up by the venue without telling them. So, although he was nice and friendly and happily signed her lunchbox,he left without posing for pictures with anybody. He had recently had throat cancer, so cut him some slack.
  A couple of years later Emma bought herself a Meet and Greet ticket to see Mike Nesmith. When Mike signed her lunchbox he said,"You're about to complete the four. Are you excited?" She was very excited.  Unfortunately her camera wouldn't work. She was embarrassed, and prepared to give up, but Mike insisted one of his people take their picture and email it to her later.

Emma and Mike Nesmith.

Since then Emma has attended lots of Monkees concerts, Mike Nesmith concerts, and interviewed Micky Dolenz,(and several other artists),for her music blog. (You can read her Mickey interview HERE.)
  Well, that's it for  Emma's apartment. Tomorrow we're looking at one of my dolls.