Apr 1
Monkee Mail from Peter's stint as guest VJ on MTV, 1986.
seen from South Korea
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Monkee Mail from Peter's stint as guest VJ on MTV, 1986.
During the 1967 tour; photo by Universal Pictorial Press.
“[Peter] did that [‘Your Auntie Grizelda’] all in one take — no second take, that was it what you heard there. He made up the whole thing. I was in a total state of shock when I heard it.” - Jack Keller, More of the Monkees 2006 liner notes “Lester [Sill] came to me and said, ‘We’ve got a kind of protest song for you.’ It certainly wasn’t what you call a protest song. That was what they thought a protest song should be for The Monkees. I believe it was Jeff Barry (who) got me to do that. He had me doin’ those funny vocal things in the middle there. I tried it and it worked out — kind of.” - Peter Tork, Music Box liner notes
Q: “Combining a slow and fast tempo, Jo Mapes’s ‘Come on In’ is a gentle Monkees tune that remained under lock and key until 1990’s Missing Links, Volume Two. It contains one of your best vocals.” Peter Tork: “Aha… I used to sing it in Greenwich Village back in my folkie days. Actually, I first heard a lady named Alix Dobkin performing the song while I was living there. It just sounded so much like the kinds of things that I wanted to sing about, so I had to eventually record it in 1968. I have no idea why it wasn’t originally released. I just made these things and put them out there. Other people made the decisions, and I didn’t think much to fight for things. It’s a shortcoming of mine, and I have to work on that. I’m still working on that.” - Medium, interview conducted in 2011
“There’s one song that Peter Tork sings on that Missing Links album where he sounds absolutely super. He sounds great; he’s right on the button. Sings it good and he wasn’t supposed to be a singer. The other guys were always pushing him out and Mike Nesmith was always sort of like threatening him, putting his fist through the wall doing all this kind of shit. I’m sure Peter could kick his ass if he wanted to, but he never did. Unbelievable.” - Davy Jones, The Monkees Day By Day
“everyone take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and even the occasional random passer-by, eh? xo, peter” - Facebook (November 10, 2018)
Peter Tork at Monterey Pop Festival, June 1967.
“I don’t know that [David] Crosby was talking about drugs when he was talking about my innocence. I am absolutely of the optimistic believer in the better angels of our nature type of guy, and I absolutely was then. Being that way, you tend to overlook the harder realities. The British have this expression, gobsmacked, which is a great expression — it’s like being hit with a big wet fish. As reality hit me, I was gobsmacked at every turn, and years and years later, now, as we’re talking, I think I’ve had my education and I’m not stupid about the way things are, but I still believe in the sunnier angels of our nature. I’ve just become less sanguine about how we were going to fix the world by tomorrow. That’s clearly not going to happen, because too many people have too much of a stake in what’s wrong with the world, as far as I’m concerned, and I believe it’s all fear. I don’t believe anybody, given the full choice — except for sociopaths — would prefer to be operating on a basis of greed and acquisition, because everybody knows that the actual possession of things themselves does not generate any longterm satisfaction. Everybody knows this, and yet people keep chasing the carrot, even though they sort of know that it’s tied to their own heads and they’ll never get it, they still keep chasing it because they don’t know how to.” - Peter Tork, 2007 interview, published by Rolling Stone in 2019
Remembering Davy.
“I enjoyed [Micky] the most, respected Mike the most, and loved Davy the most.” - Peter Tork, Hartford Courant (February 26, 1982) “[David] was the one member in the group that I had the strongest human connection with. I still have two guys that I love and respect left from the band, but we share a different dynamic.” - Peter Tork, Review Mag (May 27, 2016) “Davy adored performing, and adored meeting and greeting his fans. He was tireless in making himself available to sing a song, do a dance, shake a hand; whatever was asked. I had heart-to-heart moments with him that were among the best in my life. I was blessed to know and work closely with him. He was one in about 6 billion, give or take. We won’t see his like again. He left much too soon. I share your sadness. Thank you again for this chance to contribute. God bless and keep you all.” - Peter Tork in a note for a Pennsylvania memorial event for Davy, also shared via Peter’s official Facebook page (2012)
Peter Tork performing at the Billy Cowsill Benefit Concert at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on September 13, 2004. Photos by Jim Steinfeldt.
“If I never do break out or get a serious career success doing this, I’m not going to quit doing it. It’s too much fun.” - Peter, The Post Crescent (July 29, 2004)
Remembering Peter on the anniversary of his passing, and sending thoughts to his family and friends.
“The world’s too full of adventure and excitement to bumble through it with your mind empty and your mouth full… of foot. I like to read, think, wonder and experience the richness and magic of life. Music is my way of communicating, of reaching out to touch other people in the world, to say, ‘Hey, come on, wake up. Look around you, look inside and out, and celebrate! Come celebrate life with me!’” - Peter, Tork Talk, Vol. 1 Issue 1 (1981) “everyone take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and even the occasional random passer-by, eh? xo, peter” - Facebook, November 10, 2018
