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Having written the above it did occur to me that some of The Monkees music had great meaning to it. 'Take the Last Train to Clarksville' was written because at the time of the Vietnam conflict Fort Campbell (at Clarksville) on the Tn/Ky border was the designated joining base for new US army recruits doing their basic training then being posted to Asia with many young men (and women) never to return to the family, friends and loved ones who had accompanied them to Clarksville on that 'Last Train'. I shouldn't have taken the P** about them.
Having written the above it did occur to me that some of The Monkees music had great meaning to it. 'Take the Last Train to Clarksville' was written because at the time of the Vietnam conflict Fort Campbell (at Clarksville) on the Tn/Ky border was the designated joining base for new US army recruits doing their basic training then being posted to Asia with many young men (and women) never to return to the family, friends and loved ones who had accompanied them to Clarksville on that 'Last Train'. I shouldn't have taken the P** about them.
I did not know (until now) the significance of the lyrics of that song.
I was actually singing the first few lines to myself a couple of days ago.
Having written the above it did occur to me that some of The Monkees music had great meaning to it. 'Take the Last Train to Clarksville' was written because at the time of the Vietnam conflict Fort Campbell (at Clarksville) on the Tn/Ky border was the designated joining base for new US army recruits doing their basic training then being posted to Asia with many young men (and women) never to return to the family, friends and loved ones who had accompanied them to Clarksville on that 'Last Train'. I shouldn't have taken the P** about them.
Not according to the songwriter
It has often been presumed that the song refers to Clarksville, Tennessee, which is near Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the home of the 101st Airborne Division, which was then serving in Vietnam. However, according to songwriter Bobby Hart, that was not the case. Instead, according to Hart, "We were just looking for a name that sounded good. There's a little town in northern Arizona I used to go through in the summer on the way to Oak Creek Canyon called Clarkdale. We were throwing out names, and when we got to Clarkdale, we thought Clarksville sounded even better. We didn't know it at the time, [but] there is an Army base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee – which would have fit the bill fine for the storyline. We couldn't be too direct with The Monkees. We couldn't really make a protest song out of it – we kind of snuck it in".
Addendum
The song doesn't refer to Clarksville Tennessee. It could also refer to any of these:
Clarksville, Arkansas Clarksville, California Clarksville, Delaware Clarksville, Florida Clarkesville, Georgia Clarksville, Idaho Clarksville, Illinois Clarksville, Indiana, in Clark County Clarksville, Hamilton County, Indiana Clarksville, Iowa Clarksville, Maryland Clarksville, Michigan Clarksville, Mississippi Clarksville, Missouri Clarksville Township, Merrick County, Nebraska Clarksville, New Hampshire Clarksville, New Jersey (disambiguation) Clarksville, New York (disambiguation) Clarksville, Ohio, in Clinton County Clarksville, Defiance County, Ohio Clarksville, Perry County, Ohio Clarksville, Oklahoma Clarksville, Pennsylvania Clarksville, Texas Clarksville, Austin, Texas Clarksville, Virginia
It has often been presumed that the song refers to Clarksville, Tennessee, which is near Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the home of the 101st Airborne Division, which was then serving in Vietnam. However, according to songwriter Bobby Hart, that was not the case. Instead, according to Hart, "We were just looking for a name that sounded good. There's a little town in northern Arizona I used to go through in the summer on the way to Oak Creek Canyon called Clarkdale. We were throwing out names, and when we got to Clarkdale, we thought Clarksville sounded even better. We didn't know it at the time, [but] there is an Army base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee – which would have fit the bill fine for the storyline. We couldn't be too direct with The Monkees. We couldn't really make a protest song out of it – we kind of snuck it in".
Addendum
The song doesn't refer to Clarksville Tennessee. It could also refer to any of these:
Clarksville, Arkansas Clarksville, California Clarksville, Delaware Clarksville, Florida Clarkesville, Georgia Clarksville, Idaho Clarksville, Illinois Clarksville, Indiana, in Clark County Clarksville, Hamilton County, Indiana Clarksville, Iowa Clarksville, Maryland Clarksville, Michigan Clarksville, Mississippi Clarksville, Missouri Clarksville Township, Merrick County, Nebraska Clarksville, New Hampshire Clarksville, New Jersey (disambiguation) Clarksville, New York (disambiguation) Clarksville, Ohio, in Clinton County Clarksville, Defiance County, Ohio Clarksville, Perry County, Ohio Clarksville, Oklahoma Clarksville, Pennsylvania Clarksville, Texas Clarksville, Austin, Texas Clarksville, Virginia
I went to see them live a long time ago, after they learnt to play.
Really good gig.
Shame
RIP.
My understanding is that the Impresarios behind the "manufactured" band decided it would be far easier to work with musicians pretending to be actors, rather than actors pretending to be musicians
Davy Jones was a child star, but I believe that the other 3 were already accomplished musicians
My understanding is that the Impresarios behind the "manufactured" band decided it would be far easier to work with musicians pretending to be actors, rather than actors pretending to be musicians
Davy Jones was a child star, but I believe that the other 3 were already accomplished musicians
Micky Dolenz was also a child star. I think Mike Nesmith was the best natural musician of the four.
My understanding is that the Impresarios behind the "manufactured" band decided it would be far easier to work with musicians pretending to be actors, rather than actors pretending to be musicians
Davy Jones was a child star, but I believe that the other 3 were already accomplished musicians
Davy Jones played in both the West End and Broadway productions of Oliver! in the early 60s, and was nominated for a Tony award for his performance.
Peter Tork got the part in the Monkees after a friend who'd failed the audtion suggested him. That friend was Stephen Stills. Tork, who played several instruments, was on the fringes of the Greenwich Village folk scene at the time and he & Stills became good friends.
Dolenz had been in a group in the early sixties, but as a singer. He only learnt to play the drums in The Monkees.
Nesmith was already a performer and songwriter by the time of The Monkees, and Linda Ronstadt and Paul Butterfield had recorded songs of his.
Davy Jones played in both the West End and Broadway productions of Oliver! in the early 60s, and was nominated for a Tony award for his performance.
Peter Tork got the part in the Monkees after a friend who'd failed the audtion suggested him. That friend was Stephen Stills. Tork, who played several instruments, was on the fringes of the Greenwich Village folk scene at the time and he & Stills became good friends.
Dolenz had been in a group in the early sixties, but as a singer. He only learnt to play the drums in The Monkees.
Nesmith was already a performer and songwriter by the time of The Monkees, and Linda Ronstadt and Paul Butterfield had recorded songs of his.
There are two of the great names of 60s music:Paul Butterfield and Lind Ronstadt.
Hope he has an endless pleasant valley Sunday....RIP
[Post edited 21 Feb 2019 22:13]
I'm a bereaver
Please note: prior to hitting the post button, I've double checked for anything that could be construed as "Anti Semitic" and to the best of my knowledge it isn't. Anything deemed to be of a Xenophobic nature is therefore purely accidental or down to your own misconstruing.
Just 2 Monkees left now. 2 Beatles, 2 Doors, 2 Velvets, 2 Who 2 Creams All of the Hendrix Experience have been gone a while. and the MC5 are now the MC2
Just 2 Monkees left now. 2 Beatles, 2 Doors, 2 Velvets, 2 Who 2 Creams All of the Hendrix Experience have been gone a while. and the MC5 are now the MC2
[Post edited 22 Feb 2019 14:33]
And The Stones!
Motherfückers!
“Hello, I'm your MP. Actually I'm not. I'm your candidate. Gosh.”
Boris Johnson canvassing in Henley, 2005.
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