The band were the brainchild of Bob Rafelson who had the idea to make a film about a band. The initial idea was to use The Lovin’ Spoonful who were not that well known at the time. However, they had just signed a record deal and were consequently unavailable. Bob and his associate, a guy called Bert Schneider, then focussed on Davy Jones, an English actor who had recently starred as The Artful Dodger in a Broadway production of ‘Oliver!’. Rafelson and Schneider then advertised for people to make up the rest of the group. From the 437 applicants, they chose Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Mickey Dolenz. Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were drafted in to write some songs for the pilot show. The show proved to be a hit and the songs and albums of the songs that were released also proved popular as their first 4 albums topped the charts in the US and their first 2 singles, ‘Last Train To Clarkesville’ and the Neil Diamond penned ‘I’m A Believer’ also topped the US charts. They would go on to see a total of 15 US Hot 100 hits with ‘Daydream Believer’ giving them a third chart topper. They would also prove popular in the UK where they managed 8 charting hits with ‘I’m A Believer’, ‘A Little Bit Of Me, A Little Bit Of You’ and ‘Daydream Believer’ all going to number 1. All four members of the band would see US chart action outside The Monkees with Nesmith managing 3 hits, Jones and Dolenz 2 and Tork 1. Tork’s hit was a duet with Dolenz while Nesmith’s were all under the name Michael Nesmith & The First National Band. One of Davy Jones’s hits went out under the name Mr David Jones.
Date of entry
Song
Peak (weeks at 1)
Weeks
11-Nov-1966
Last Train To Clarkesville
16
2
27-Jan-1967
I’m A Believer
1 (6)
13
28-Apr-1967
A Little Bit Of Me, A Little Bit Of You
8
10
06-Oct-1967
Pleasant Valley Sunday
14
6
15-Dec-1967
Daydream Believer
1 (1)
13
26-Apr-1968
Valleri
15
3
11-Apr-1969
Teardrop City
14
4
22-Aug-1969
Listen To The Band
17
3
Total hits
8
Total weeks
54
Biggest climber awards
2
Star rater climbs
6
Biggest fallers
3
Weeks with oldest in the charts
2
Longest run in the charts (weeks)
23
Weeks with more than 1 in the charts
0
Biggest gap between hits (weeks)
47
Top 30 points ranking
113
Top 20 points ranking
114
Top 30 points
1085
Top 20 points
545
Michael Nesmith solo hit:
Date of entry
Song
Peak (weeks at 1)
Weeks
19-Mar-1971
Silver Moon
3
9
Total hits
1
Total weeks
9
Total chart involvement for the band and its members:
SA Singles Charts 