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Music on the Road

The Monkees: Still listening to the band

By Jodi Ross
CNN Entertainment Correspondent

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Hey hey they're the Monkees, and with more than 65 million in record sales, they're not monkeying around.

While their hit TV show went off the air more then three decades ago, Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz are bringing the Monkees to the masses once again.

Formed primarily for the purpose of starring in a television show (which ran from 1966 to 1968), the group went on to create some of the most recognizable pop/rock hits, such as "I'm a Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville."

Their new CD, "MonkeeMania 2002: Live in Toronto," contains many of their classics as well as the witty banter they are known for.

We caught up with Davy Jones and Mickey Dolenz during their recent stop in New York.

CNN: You are not only bandmates, but when you started out, you were roommates as well?

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Two of the original members of the 1960s rock 'n' roll group, the Monkees, perform 'I'm A Believer' Play video

Davy Jones: When we first moved to Hollywood we lived together. We lived in Benedict Canyon and the first time "Last Train To Clarksville" came on the radio, we were driving along and we stopped the cars and looked at each other and jumped up and down.

Unfortunately, we weren't in a convertible, so that's why my head looks like this!

CNN: When you take the stage, and look out into the audience, how would you describe the crowd?

Davy: We can't see the audience, you must be joking. We're in our 50s, we can't see the audience.

Micky Dolenz: It's amazing. It's not uncommon to have a grandmother, a mother and a daughter all screaming to get Davy's autograph at the same time, because the television show played for so many years and the records keep playing on all the oldies stations over and over again, it's amazing.

CNN: Do you feel a responsibility to keep your clean image up?

Davy: Most people associate rock and roll with sex, drugs and rock and roll. We have a responsibility more than anything. We feel like we're the caretakers of the Monkees. We have to keep that image up.

CNN: How did the Beatles influence your music and "The Monkees" television show?

Micky: The Monkees was a television show about an imaginary band that wanted to be the Beatles. We had a poster of the Beatles up in our set. The story was about these guys that were trying to be famous.

One of the reasons "The Monkees" show was successful is we never made it on the show. The show was about the struggle for success. That's what kids identified with, because they were out there trying to be in rock and roll bands, and were were there and they were emulating that. We were trying to be the Beatles, [but] we were never successful on the television show.

CNN: Fellow Monkees Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork aren't touring with you guys. Is that weird?

Micky: It's a little bit like Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young. That's the sensibility. Peter was out with us just a few months ago, but decided he wanted to pursue his blues music. And Mike was out with us a few years ago on tour in England. It's just the case when they feel like coming in and dipping into it, they do.

Davy: Micky, Mike, Peter and Davy, that's the Monkees. Peter is making his own music, Mike writes and produces, and Micky and I sing Monkee tunes. As for reminiscing with our original fans, we just want to make music. We just want to have a good time. We just want to travel and learn and just enjoy ourselves and that's why we're on the road.