Details of Tork leaving tour please?
usa...@ftnetwork.com
Has there been some sort of row? Over what ?
Please post fullest details.
Thanks
Markshark989
Okay...first, it is important to note that at various times since the 1986
reunion, all three now have taken turns walking out. Dolenz quit in 1989 and
Jones in 1987, both vowing they would never do another Monkees reunion
again...so this is nothing out of the ordinary. Actually, I'll let the
principals tell you in their own words (for the most part):
From Bonnie (Shoe Suede Blues):
Before I get into the Washington Tour, I want to answer about half of the
emails in my box which ask about Peter & The Monkees' UK tour. Originally, The
Monkees were supposed to tour only in the US & only up until September. Those
were the terms agreed to at the beginning. As many of you know, SSB has not
tour much at all this year in order to allow Peter to tour with Davy & Micky.
When the idea of the UK shows
came up, Peter was worried that he was spending too much time away from SSB &
other projects he had started before the Monkees tour was even conceived. He
asked to not go to the UK, based on these other commitments he had already made
and David Fishof granted his wish. There has been no big fight between the
guys, David Fishof, or anything else. It's just a matter of Peter needing to
return to other
projects. Peter has said that he has thoroughly enjoyed touring with The
Monkees and it was a bittersweet decision to make, but he felt he had to make
it for business reasons. Peter also said that he hopes fans will understand and
will enjoy hte remaining shows with Davy & Micky. Peter thinks the world of
both of them as friends & professionals and knows that the remaining shows will
be strong and
entertaining. This is all I know about The Monkees business (no pun intended)
<G>
From Monkee Business Fanzine, by Maggie McManus:
Peter Tork told his bandmates in mid-July that he was resigning from the
Monkees' 2001 reunion tour. "I'm committed to the tour through whatever the
last date was when I resigned, which was September 8. But September 9 I have a
show with James Lee," Peter told MBF on July 21. "And from then on, it's James
Lee and Shoe Suede Blues shows for me. I won't be doing England. I understand
Micky and Davy are going to go on without me, and I wish them well." Peter
declined to give a reason for his decision at the time, but he insisted, "I ~
sure it was the right thing to do." Considerate of those still involved with
the tour, Peter stressed that MBF could not announce the news without the
consent of the other parties involved. While there was still the possibility
that mere bookings could be added to the tour, no one wanted to scare off
prometers with the news of the split. While there were still West Coast shows
to be played, no one wanted to hurt ticket sales or generate bad press. While
the U.K. tour was being renegotiated for two Monkees instead of three, no one
wanted to jeopardize the negotiations. For a while, no one involved with the
tour would even comment on the situation for MBF! On July 30, David Fishof told
MBF that he was still hoping Peter would reconsider his resignation, but he
emphasized that he didn't intend to change any of his plans for the Monkees. "I
wish him the best," Fishof said, "but I am dedicated to Davy and Micky as a
producer and manager. Their show is the best it has ever been. They have been a
joy and very professional to work with. They will still get the big show."
with. They will still get the big show." Fishof told MBF he intended to keep
the Monkees reunion tour, starring Micky and Davy, going into next year:
"There'il be an extensive Canada tour in October. We'll do Australia from
February 25 through March 10. We'll be starting recording for a new album for
Lou Pearlman's label. There'll be a huge tour next summer for Davy and Micky.
We'll package them with another major act that's their equal." Davy Jones had
just one comment for MBF on the subject of Peter's departure. "I'm
flabbergasted," he said. Micky Dolenz spoke with MBF on August 6. "Once a
quitter, always a quitter," Micky said on the subject of Peter's resignation.
He elaborated, "Here are the two reasons he gave me for his resignation. He
said, one, Davy yelled at his driver, and, two, he and Davy had an argument
about the tempo of 'The girl I Knew Somewhere' and Davy was rude. Those are the
reasons he gave me." Micky explained that Peter's departure had nothing to do
with business matters---on the contrary, there were some projects in the works
that looked very promising for the threesome. "The most disturbing thing about
all this is that we had a major motion pictLire deal in the works," Micky told
MBF. "We had a letter of intent from the production company, and Peter just
blew it off, the same way Davy blew off the movie deal in 1997." Micky told MBF
how Peter delivered the news of his resignation: "Peter came in and said, 'I
just handed in my resignation.' And I laughed and said, 'Who did you hand it
to? Yourself?' I had this mental picture of him standing in front of a mirror,
handing it to himself---'I resign,' 'You can't, you're fired,' 'No, I resign!'
So I say he resigned from himself. I told him that." Micky theorized, "My
personal opinion, my diagnosis, is that Peter always felt he didn't want to be
there, didn't want to b~ part of the Monkees. He has always resented the fact
that his association with the Monkees is the only thing that's generated
success for him. None of his solo projects has been as successful, and he
resents that. That resentment turns into a subconscious desire to sabotage
success. I have said this to him. Davy has the same problem," Micky added,
referring to Davy's 1997 departure from the group. "I am fortunate and blessed
that I've been able to find success in other areas. I have other branches to my
career, other arrows in my quiver. I have other outlets and projects." Micky
told MBF that he and Davy plan to continue on as the Monkees, but he said, "I
don't know to what degree." As for the reports that Micky and Davy will record
a CD with pep music mogul and starmaker Lou Pearlman, Micky told MBF, "Pearlman
keeps promising us a record. He has been for a long time." He cautioned fans
not to view the delay as a sign of empty promises: "I think the delays were
more due to internal things at Lou Pearlman's company, as they try to get their
own record label set up. It's taking longer than they expected." Asked if any
of his solo compositions or any tracks from "Demoiselle" will end up on the
proposed album, Micky said, "I'd love to have a track on it, but, if we're to
be involved in it, I want the biggest songwriters in the world, the best
producers, songs from people who' ve written big hits." Considering Pearlman' s
past successes in taking the Backstreet Boys, ' NSync, O-Town, and LFO to the
top of the charts, it's not out of the realm of possibility that his company,
TransContinental, could produce a Top 40 hit for the guys. By August 14, Peter
was more willing than he had been a few weeks earlier to divulge his reasons
for his resignation. "My explanation is that I understood Davy was under a
promise not to speak abusively," he told MBF, referring to a topic the group
had discussed at length before agreeing to work together on the 2001 tour, "and
that he violated that condition and that I chose not to subject myself to any!
more of that than I honorably had to, which is the long and the short of it, as
far as I 'm concerned." Peter added, "I ' ve become more protective of my
serenity lately and I wasn't finding much of it on the road on this tour."
Announcement: Peter Tork will NOT be appearing at the Monkees' September 7
& 8 shows in Bensenville & Grand Prairie.
Here's why:
It's 10 pm Sunday night, September 2, and I just got off the phone with
Peter Tork. He phoned me, sounding very very very upset. He'd just
received a call from David Fishof saying that Micky and Davy did not want
him showing up at the two September dates, in Bensenville and Grand Prairie.
In fact, they were insistent on it, saying that if Peter showed up for those
two gigs,THEY WOULD NOT!!!! "I guess I'd be on stage by myself, playing
'Last Train To Clarksville' in another key and saying, 'Now this is where
Micky usually sings 'I'm A Believer'," Peter said.
Lots of fans had asked over the last week if Peter would be at the September
7 & 8 shows, and Peter had told me to reassure everyone that he would be,
but this is a dramatic new turn of events. Peter wanted everyone who
expected to see him at those shows to be warned in advance that he would not
be there---AT THE INSISTENCE OF THE OTHER GUYS.
The worst most horrible part of all this is that it's obvious that Micky,
Davy, and Fishof had it all planned out in advance, Peter said. After the
most recent show in Anaheim, Davy shook hands with him and said, "See you
around," and Peter said, "Wait a minute, I'm not done, I'll see you guys in
Bensenville and Dallas." But THEY knew already. Fishof told him that he
hurt Micky and Davy so badly that they don't want him at the other dates.
But they sure kept him around long enough to do the taping (at the Anaheim
show) for the upcoming live audio/video releases and made sure he signed all
the contracts for those releases ahead of time.
Asked how the West Coast shows went, Peter said that he'd thought everything
was just great, couldn't have been better. In fact, he said "7th Heaven"
star Stephen Collins was at Anaheim and was "effusive" in his praise of the
guys' concert. Collins' wife, actress Faye Grant, was so thrilled with the
show that she asked to have her picture taken with the guys
backstage----Stephen told Peter that she's NEVER asked anyone that in the 18
years they'd been together, so from her that was very high praise.
Welllllll, for all the people who theorized in the last week that the guys
were pulling our leg about an internal conflict.......guess not! This
time, the fans---who'd hoped to see Peter one last time---are suffering
because of it.
Open letter from Micky Dolenz:
Dear Monkee Fans,
Approximately six weeks ago, in the middle of our very successful tour,
Peter informed me that he was "handing in his resignation" and quitting
the Monkees. again.
At the same time, I was informed that he had rejected, out of hand, a
development deal for a major motion picture, starring The Monkees,
that I had negotiated.
In addition, a number of other exciting projects that had been in the works
had to be either cancelled or postponed. The amount of damage done was
considerable.
It's my opinion that when someone quits a group, or a company, it's not
up to them to decide when they are going to leave, it's up to the other
members of that group or the executives of that company.
For a number of reasons, personal, logistical and practical, I felt it best
for Peter to be officially dismissed at the end of August. I shared my
feelings with the other principles in our organization and they concurred.
As far as Peter's reasons for making the decisions he did, you will have
to ask him directly. I, personally, found them utterly unjustifiable and
without merit.
I regret this turn of affairs but I had little or no control over its
outcome.
Once Peter quit, the die was cast. All I can do is to promise to give you
the best show that I can in gratitude for your ongoing loyalty, support
and friendship.
Micky Dolenz
Los Angeles, CA
September 5th, 2001
Next, from David Fishof, dated September 5:
Dear Fan,
I appreciate your concern regarding The Monkees and Peter Tork's recent
departure from the band. I'm hoping this letter will clear up some apparent
misconceptions.
The fact remains that Peter Tork made the decision mid-tour to resign from
the band due to personal conflicts (as he reported to Monkee Business
Fanzine). Simultaneously, Micky Dolenz and I were working on securing a
film project for The Monkees and received an offer for a "Monkee Movie."
Peter declined to be a part of this project.
I personally approached Peter numerous times during the tour to try to get
him to reconsider leaving the band. I was unsuccessful and felt totally
rejected.
As a long time professional in this business, I feel that Davy Jones and
Micky Dolenz have been put their best efforts forward in performing each
concert on this tour. Their energy and chemistry on stage is truly
remarkable.
My opinion is Peter's decision was driven by his ambition to further pursue
his other projects. He was unconcerned about the effect his departure
would have on Davy, Micky the other band members, the crew---not
to mention the fans.
The fact that Davy and Micky elected to terminate Peter a few shows
before the end of their US dates was because they need establish a
new show with a new format and layout.
Please remember, Peter chose to leave. Davy and Micky are still dedicated
to their fans and look forward to bringing all of you the best show they've
ever done.
Warm regards,
David Fishof
September 5, 2001
And finally, Tork gets the last word.
Peter Tork, original member of the 60's pop group The Monkees, has announced
his departure from the band's 2001 tour schedule, effective immediately. Tork
acknowledges reports regarding interpersonal situations within the band, but
said his emphasis is on returning to first loves and striking out on new paths.
"I fully enjoyed performing in the show," said Tork, "but I had made
commitments prior to embarking on The Monkees tour, and I need to honor those
commitments."
Those commitments include performing with Tork's own blues band, Shoe Suede
Blues, which had just begun a national touring agenda when The Monkees' tour
producer, David Fishof, contacted Tork about a 35th anniversary tour for The
Monkees. "It's time now to resume those plans," he said.
The Monkees tour had originally been scheduled for the early summer months but
as it gained in popularity, the schedule was extended beyond the time that Tork
was able to commit. When the tour was extended to include performances in the
UK in the fall of 2001, Tork resigned, citing the need to attend to his own
personal and professional needs.
"I think the world of both Micky and David as performers and people," Tork
added. "Their new show will be a wonderful experience for the audiences. I wish
them both the best of luck." Tork hopes the fans will be informed immediately
of the change in plans so that they won't
be disappointed when attending The Monkees shows in anticipation of seeing all
three group members. He is quick to add, however, that fans should still expect
to see a first-rate show, with lots of good music and good fun.
Mickys411
fight,
at least that's what Peter told Micky.
And according to Peter it was because dates for his blues and two man band
shows colided with Monkee concerts.
So many threories, but I guess we'll never know.
Mickys411